Silent Beauty
by Pikosita5
Summary: Alfred, an alpha at Academy for Universally Gifted, has to volunteer at Academy for the Specially Inept. There he gets partnered with a mute omega named Arthur Kirkland. Watch as they over come challenges in communication with each other and themselves as people. Omegaverse UsUk, some PruCan, SpaMano, GerIta Future Smut
1. Chapter 1: Pick Your Poison

Author's POV:

"Hey Alfred, which academy do you think our school is going to be paired up with?" Antonio asked.

Alfred, in turn, shrugged. "I hope it's not that one academy with all the disabled kids. Like no offense, but I don't want to spend my school year with them."

The two alphas went to a mixed academy, mixed being the different signs could go there, and were in their thirteenth year. Alfred had a scholarship to that academy as he showed promise in their sports category, Antonio there for the same reason, but the Spanish alpha was there for soccer department ("Fútbol! Se dise fútbol!") but Alfred was in their _real_ football department. He knew other alphas, omegas, and betas there who were all in for different talents and skills, but that was what the school was for anyway. A school for the gifted.

"Hey don't be so mean Alfred. Ludwig's brother is in that place, remember?" Matthew frowned.

Matthew was Alfred's younger by 7 minutes twin brother, who just so happened to be an omega instead of an alpha.

"And anyways, you shouldn't bash on people because of their disabilities, you don't know how they got them. They could have been born like that or had a traumatic thing happen."

"Geez Matt, I didn't know you cared so much about these people." Alfred rolled his eyes. In all honesty, he did feel bad for them, but it wasn't like he could do anything about it, so he decided to just not care.

"I care because I'm a decent human being, unlike you." Matt stuck his tongue out at his twin and turned back to face the front as their teacher called order.

"Alright everyone," Mr. Rainwater called from the front. "I found the e-mail. Now don't be disappointed if we didn't get paired with a school you wanted, but just try to make the most of the one we got, alright?"

Murmurs erupted in the class as the teacher turned on the screen and pulled up the e-mail.

 _Attention teachers,_  
 _Please inform our students that the academy we have been paired with is the Academy for the Specially Inept. The students must report to that academy every day they can to volunteer. All students must go tomorrow to get their "buddy" assigned, no questions asked. If a student does not show up and has no valid excuse, they will be partnered with someone who hasn't been yet immediately._  
 _Attentively,_  
 _Mrs. Vazquez_  
 _Principal_

Most of the students in the room groaned. Ludwig, the stoic alpha the same year as the twins, had a small smile appear on his lips vaguely.

Alfred frowned. One student beta student he didn't know the name of raised her hand. "Excuse me, Mr. Rainwater, but why are we paired with this school? Is it too late to change?"

"Yes, it is. And we were paired by the district, us as a school cannot change their minds without a good reason why." Mr. Rainwater smiled at the students. "And besides, you may find you'll like it there."

"I doubt it." Mumbled Alfred under his breath as the bell rang, signaling the end of the day.

He gathered his things and started walking towards the dorms. The thing about this academy was that unlike other ones, students coming from different parts of the world lived in the dorms, while local ones could go home. Alfred and Matthew both were originally from Oregon in America, but since the school was in England, they had to stay in the dorms. Sorta _Harry Potter_ style but it was divided by Male Beta, Female Beta, Male Omega, Female Omega, Male Alpha, Female Alpha. Six different buildings of dorms for the six types, each one with about 5 floors, 10 dorms in each floor, and each dorm had enough room for two people. If you were lucky enough, you got your own dorm and didn't have to share the space with anyone. Alfred was that lucky alpha. Each building had at least 10 people without a roommate, some holding less, and the roommates changed every year so no one knew if they were going to get a roomie or be a lucky loner for the year. This was Alfred's third year in a row being a loner, and was convinced the staff didn't want him to be paired with anyone ever since the incident four years prior.

Alfred sighed as he entered his dorm, throwing the backpack on his bed as he lied down next to it. He looked at the headboard of the bed with a frown. _Why, out of all the schools in the place, why that one?!_

"Alfred?" Someone called as they knocked on his door.

He cursed as he got up from his bed and walked over to his door. He looked down with a frown at who he thought would be Antonio, but was instead Ludwig. The frown on his face immediately slipped off as he gazed at the other alpha. "Oh hey Ludwig. What's up?"

"I have a favor to ask of you Alfred." The German alpha sighed.

"Shoot bro."

"Don't be rude."

"Huh?"

"Alfred you're generally a nice guy, I know you are, but I also know you aren't very fond of that place. I just ask you be nice to whoever you are paired with. As you may know, my brother resides in that academy, and as such I visit him frequently. I know mostly everyone in that academy, so you can come to me if you need any advice on your partner, but I just ask you don't make them feel lower due to being you. You may be paired with an omega, a beta, maybe even a fellow alpha, but they are all there for different reasons, so don't make an assumption you know why someone's there until you are given their background please."

Alfred stared at the guy in shock and mild offense, but he was also relieved to know the fellow alpha thought he was a nice guy. "Yeah, okay. I will Lud. Thanks for the advice." Alfred nodded.

Ludwig nodded to and walked to the next door. ' _He's probably giving this speech to everyone in the building._ ' Alfred sighed and closed his door again. He made his way over to the bed and picked up the backpack he had recklessly thrown on it earlier. "I should work on my homework."

* * *

Arthur looked up as the headmaster of the academy walked into the omega common room, poking his deaf friend Feliciano so he'd know that someone walked into the room.

"Hello students," he spoke as he signed with his hands for the deaf kids. "we got the results of the school we were paired up with today. I have posted it on the school website. Tomorrow there will be students coming to get their buddy assigned. Please be present there."

All the omegas nodded and watched as their beta headmaster walked off, most likely to talk to the other signs.

"That's exciting isn't it? Another school coming here and helping out?" Maeve asked, smiling into thin air. Arthur guided her face so she at least seemed to be looking at Feliciano and himself. He repeated what she said in sign language to Feliciano, who nodded and smiled too. He grabbed the blackette's head and made her nod.

"Where's Lovino?" Maeve asked.

"We're not sure. He said he was going to the bathroom but his blind ass probably ran into something." A new voice made the blind blackette and mute blonde jump and look at the redheaded alpha-in the case of the blind one, where she thought he was-all while Feliciano waved.

"Jesus Alister, give us a warning next time!" Maeve whined. Arthur nodded. Feliciano watched, confused about what they were saying.

'What did she say?' Feliciano asked Arthur. Arthur signed back what Maeve told Alister, which made the deaf omega giggle.

'That's funny.'

Arthur smiled back and nodded.

"Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck! Where am I now?" A voice groaned. Arthur looked at the hallway that leads to the dorms, smiling as Lovino came out from them.

"That Lovino?" Alister asked.

Arthur grabbed his hand and balled it into a fist, making it bend down at the wrist then back up.

"LOVINO! COME HERE AND GIVE ME THE MONEY YOU OWE ME!"

"FUCK OFF ALPHA CUNT! I HAVE A BROTHER TO FEED!"

"WELL I HAVE FOUR BROTHERS AND A SISTER TO FEED TOO!"

And everyone who could hear face palmed. Those two were always fighting. It was a surprise that they were actually great friends, knowing how hard it is being the oldest sibling and having to be responsible for the younger ones.

Feliciano saw Arthur and Maeve face palm and looked over to the hallway, seeing his brother. He slowly nodded in understanding. Even though he can't hear, he knows they bicker...constantly.

"Hey you two, shut up! My show is on!" Maeve snapped. It went quiet for a second.

"You can't see it." Lovino blurted.

"Well I can can't hear it either. Now shush, I think my favorite is talking."

Arthur smiled at his little sister. Even though the accident years ago made them lose parts of themselves, he is happy they're not taking it so badly anymore.

He just hoped, he wished it was true for him, too.

* * *

Hello! This is my first fanfic on here so I'm still getting used to all the controls and stuff ya know? But anyways, I got inspired by a previous book I read and I loved it so much I wanted to make a fanfic of it, but with another set of characters. I love Hetalia, but I don't own it. These only character I own is Maeve. Mrs. Vazquez and Mr. Rainwater are based off actual teachers I know. Thank you for reading!


	2. Chapter 2: Get-A-Buddy Time!

Author's POV:

"Are you ready to go Al?" Antonio asked, knocking on the door of the blonde alpha's dorm.

Alfred groaned at his desk. "Can't I stay here?"

"Don't you remember what the headmaster said? Get up! Matthew's already waiting for you downstairs!"

The alpha groaned again and got ready to go to the other academy. That one was actually quite close to theirs, which may have been another factor as to why they were paired up, and so any student whose classes ended early could go get a buddy before anyone else. Alfred and his group of friends were some of those lucky students, which made the alpha angry and annoyed. He didn't want to go, he didn't want to get paired up with anyone, and he didn't want to do this stupid academy volunteering stuff!

"Dude hurry up! We're all waiting for you!" Antonio yelled and banged on the door.

"I'm coming!" Alfred snapped, grabbing his backpack and putting it on. He can never escape homework, no matter how hard he tries.

He put his key in his pocket, happy that he remembered his phone and ear buds in there too, and opened the door just as Antonio was going to bang on it again.

"Finally! Now c'mon, we're getting paired up today _amigo_! I wanna know who I'm gonna get!"

Alfred and the rest of his friends from the academy stood outside of the main building's entrance. Alfred looked over to his left and saw a young boy peering from a door, then rush inside.

"There's kids here?" Alfred asked.

"Ja. Kids with disabilities like blindness, autism, mutism, deafness, stuff like that come here and learn how to do things and communicate despite the disability. Some are born with it, other get it from a life experience. There are even some amputee kids here who were in accidents and since then have been deaf or mute and were sent here to be able to communicate again." Ludwig nodded. "As for the case of my brother, he was born with it."

"Ohhh." Everyone looked at the door as the headmaster came out. He looked at the group and smiled.

"Welcome everyone to my academy created for the disabled. Oh, Ludwig, I see you're here too. Perhaps you can help with the tour?"

"Ja, I can do that." Ludwig nodded. His eyes looked around and the headmaster chuckled.

"Gilbert was still in his room last time I checked. I will ask for someone to get him. Now come along students, I will show you my academy."

Alfred looked around the campus as they took the tour and listened to the headmaster ramble on about when it was built and what each building was for (he was bored out of his mind already). He raised an eyebrow as a pair of older, similar looking alphas passed by, doing something with their hands.

"Gregory, Jonah!" The two alphas looked at their headmaster and smiled. They walked over to the headmaster and did a salute. The headmaster did it in return.

"Everyone, these are Gregory and Jonah. They are some of the oldest students here at age 26. They were in an accident which caused them to lose their vocal cords and some of their hearing. They are also some of our assistant teachers for sign language. If you would like practice with sign language, come to one of these men and they will show you."

They all nodded, while Ludwig did the salute to them.

"Hello Greg, Jon. Nice to see you again." Ludwig spoke as he signed with his hands.

' _Hello Lu_ ' They signed back. Instead of signing the whole name, most of the time they just sign parts of the name or the initials. They found it was faster to communicate that way.

"We should be on our way. We have finished the tour, now let's go back to the main office where you will be paired."

"Yipee." Alfred muttered sarcastically under his breath.

Francis (who happened to be Alfred and Matthew's omega cousin from France, who also, despite being older than them by a year, was in their grade) heard and smacked him.

"Be nice Alfred." The omega hissed quietly so the headmaster, who was speaking as he led the group away, didn't hear.

"Whatever." The alpha rolled his eyes. ' _I bet my partner is going to be someone I can barely stand. That'll give me something more to complain about._ '

"Arthur! The volunteers are here!" A voice squealed as they entered the main building's library. The academy had two libraries, the main one which was much larger and filled with so many more books, and a room consisting of a bookshelf, a fireplace, and a few couches in the main building where some of the classes were held. Arthur loved visiting both spots on the campus. The person who spoke however, was not a student at the academy. She was a volunteer there actually, but the beta was someone who went to regular school. She mainly started visiting because her blind brother went to the academy. Her name was Michelle.

And for some odd reason, she had declared herself Arthur's best friend and would hang out with him when her brother went his classes. Like now for instance.

"What's this about volunteers? I thought you were the only one." Alister groaned. He was taking a nap on one of the couches so he could be close to Arthur in case Arthur had one of his...moments.

"No, the school from up the road is volunteering here remember? Well they're here and the headmaster wants us downstairs to pair you guys up with your buddy."

Arthur slowly nodded, putting his book down and getting up from his seat. He managed to catch Alister before he rolled off the couch and helped him to his feet, giving him his walking stick.

It was odd, how green his eyes were, similar to Arthur's, yet they could see nothing. Most of the time he had them closed and sometimes even blind folded, anything so he could feel like the darkness was caused by that and nothing else, like the accident never happened.

Arthur took his hand and led his brother down the stairs, straight into the living room of sorts in the main building were parents waited to see their child when they visited. It surprised Arthur to see a moderately large group of people that looked around his age there instead of adults. After looking at a few people, he made eye contact with one of them.

One he knew very well.

 _Ludwig_.

Arthur smiled and signed 'Hello' to him. Ludwig smiled and signed back. He looked around and saw Feliciano, who was "speaking" to Feliks, a Polish omega who was also deaf. Arthur looked back to Ludwig and nodded over to the Italian omega with his head. Ludwig looked in the direction and smiled.

The headmaster noticed Ludwig communicating with someone and finished his speech prematurely. "Ahem, everyone, these are some of our students here at the academy." The headmaster turned to the students, all of whom looked up at him and did the salute (except the blind ones, they just waved). Feliciano saw Ludwig and couldn't hold his excitement, running over to him and hugging him.

Ludwig smiled and when they released, they started signing to each other.

The headmaster let them and instead talked about some of the students, signing at the same time so the deaf ones knew what he was saying. "This here is Arthur. He is one of our best music composers. Don't expect to be given a performance by him anytime soon though. He's not one for crowds."

Arthur looked at the group and smiled, giving them the salute, which in fact meant 'Hello' in sign language. As his eyes trailed over them, he made eye contact with a tall alpha with blonde hair and beautiful blue eyes as clear as the sky in summer. He had a weird tuff of hair that sprouted upwards and seemed to defy gravity. They held eye contact for a bit until someone latched onto Arthur's shoulder.

"Hey headman, you're forgetting an awesome someone!" A voice laughed. Arthur looked at the pale arm on his shoulder and immediately knew who it was.

"This is Gilbert, he's Ludwig's older brother." The headmaster sighed and in turn, led the group outside to continue his speech from where he left off, leaving Ludwig inside.

"Hey West! Come here and give your big bro a hug!"

"Nein."

"Jerk."

Arthur snickered and removed the arm from his shoulder.

"Who is the not-as-awesome-as-me person I touching?" Gilbert 'kesesese'd and Arthur rolled his eyes, lifting the alpha's hand and signing the 'A' and 'K' on his hand.

"Oh! Artie! Take me to my brother!"

"My wee bro'her ain't gonna do no'hing for you, Gil! Not after last time!" Alister snapped, pulling his brother back.

The two started arguing and Arthur face palmed. He looked over at Ludwig, who was covering his face with his hands and mumbling in German. When the alpha looked up, Arthur signed 'help' to him and pointed at their brothers. Ludwig went outside and told the headmaster something, who also face palmed and walked inside again with the group behind him.

"Alright you two. If you don't stop fighting, you do chores for a week." The headmaster threatened. The two alphas let go of each other and started saying random things.

"What is this 'fighting' you speak of? I do none of this 'fighting' business! Is that anew drug? You know these kids and their drugs!" Alister snickered. Arthur smacked him, making his alpha brother yelp.

"Artie! What was that for?" Alister whined.

"'Cause you're being a big bitch, big brother." Maeve spoke from where she was sitting. Apparently she'd been there the whole time. Arthur also saw his three remaining siblings communicating, blissfully unaware their oldest brother was fighting with someone at the moment.

"Maeve, we've talked about this." The headmaster warned.

"No cursing when there's people." Maeve repeated with a whine. "But sir, they're teens right?...No seriously, are you teens? I kinda can't see so I need someone to tell me."

Arthur walked over to her and balled her hand into a fist, bending it from the wrist up again. "Oh, nice. Who is it?" He once again signed an 'A' then a 'K' on someone else's hand, this time it was his little sister's.

"Oh! Thank you Artie!"

Arthur ruffled her hair and walked back to his place next to Alister, passing his three older, alpha, and deaf brothers giving them all 'Hellos' as he passed. They smiled ruffled his hair as he walked.

"What Arthur demonstrated is a way of communication here. Blind students allow the deaf or mute students to do sign language on their hands as a way of communicating with them, at times using both hands. That student Arthur had communicated with is his younger sister Ma-"

"Sup, my name's Maeve! I'm related to Arthur, Dylan, Connor, Seamus, and Alister. No, I wasn't born like this. No, I will not tell you how I got blind. No, I do not want a buddy but I'm being forced into this. Any more questions, Headman?"

"Are you going to be quiet like Gilbert is now or will I have to send you to your room?"

"Which one gets me no buddy?"

"None."

"Then I might as well stay quiet. Give me my buddy, Headman."

The headmaster took a deep breath. "Is it too early for retirement?"

"Yes." Ludwig looked over at him with a pitiful look in his eyes.

"Great. Michelle," the beta walked over to the headmaster, a clipboard in her hands. "do you have the partners ready?"

"Yes sir." She nodded.

"Read off the list please."

"Yes sir." She nodded again and looked down at the list.

"Gilbert Belschmidt and Matthew Williams-Jones  
Feliciano Vargas and Ludwig Belschmidt  
Alister Kirkland and Francis Bonnefoy  
Lovino Vargas and Antonio Carridero  
Arthur Kirkland and Alfred F. Jones-Williams  
Maeve Kirkland and Abel Mogens..."

The rest of the list was a blur to Arthur as he searched the group for who his buddy was supposed to be. Was it the tall alpha with piercing violet eyes? No, he walked over to Yao, a blind Chinese omega. The longish-brunette alpha with green eyes? No, he went over to Kiku, a deaf Japanese omega. So who was it? Was he even paired with an alpha?

"Hey, Arthur right?" A voice asked as Arthur looked over the crowded space. Arthur jumped and looked up at the person who spoke.

It was the same alpha from before, with the summer eyes.

Arthur slowly nodded, looking down at the hand held out to him. He took it and they shook hands. The alpha smiled at him.

"Cool, my name's Alfred. Do you wanna hang out?"

Arthur nodded again, and after taking a final sweep of the room to make sure his family was okay, he walked away and motioned for Alfred to follow him.

' _I'm really starting to have second thoughts about this._ ' Alfred thought as the green eyed omega led him out of the room. ' _Damn, this one's hot!_ '


	3. Chapter 3: Ways of Communication

_Author's POV:_

It was...awkward to say the least.

When they first got to the omega's room in the very large-and what seemed to be the only-omega building (each omega had a room to themselves so if there's a case that two omegas have the same heat cycle they won't have to share a nest room), Arthur tried to talk to him in sign language.

The muted blonde was on his bed and the alpha was at the desk chair, both staring at each other, unsure how to approach.

After a minute of Alfred not responding to his question of ' _What do you want to do?_ ', the pair stood there, unsure what to do.

"You understand English right?" Alfred finally asked, breaking the silence.

Arthur nodded slowly, confused on why he wanted to know. Did he think he was deaf?

"Oh good, I wasn't sure since you used sign if you could hear. So, you don't talk?"

Arthur nodded again. ' _Moons, he's slow isn't he?_ ' The omega thought to himself.

"So I'm guessing if I asked you for the WiFi password to the building you would have it?" Alfred asked awkwardly.

Arthur gave a small smile. ' _Yup, he's an idiot._ '

He got off the bed and walked over to the desk, opening the top drawer and taking out a folded piece of paper. He carefully unfolded it and handed it to the alpha with pale fingers, which Alfred thought looked soft.

"Oh, thanks." Alfred nodded, though embarrassed. "I have some homework to do and I didn't want to do when I got back to my dorm because I had another thing to do."

Arthur nodded and pointed to the desk, hoping he got the message.

"...You'd let me do it here?"

Arthur nodded, motioning over to his backpack. He then pointed to himself.

"You have homework too?"

Arthur nodded.

"Coolio."

Arthur blinked twice, unsure what to make of that. He mostly spoke in sign language with people who couldn't see or people who couldn't hear. He didn't communicate well with what the kids in their academy called " _Normies_ ". The Normal people, the ones who could hear, see, and talk with only slight difficulty like the common blurry vision-easily fixed with glasses-or tongue twister. He was almost jealous of the alpha and his ability to just string words together so nicely upon his tongue while he had to keep it all inside him and in his thoughts, no way to communicate it properly without needing help of scent and hand motions.

The mute just walked over to his backpack, tossed it on his bed, and grabbed out his folder. Mathematics. He hated the topic. He sucked at it. English, History, and Science, he can do that, but maths? No, he'd rather jump over a highly active volcano with only a meter sprint before hand. Maybe if he died then he wouldn't have to study for the stupid test he had in a week.

Arthur sighed at it and took out his sign language packet, looking at the phrases he had to work on.

 _'Can you please hand me the milk?'_

 _'[Your name] is my name, what is yours?'_

 _'Have you ever been to [city of choice here]?'_

 _'When is tea time?'_

 _'How long does the movie run?'_

These five phrases. He gets five new phrases everyday. Sure, it could get boring, but it was better than _maths_!

Arthur managed to finish practicing all five phrases quickly. Damn him and his ability to learn things quickly. Well, everything but maths.

He sat on his bed and glared at the equations that seemed to mock him, not noticing he was giving off a vivid scent.

Alfred looked up from his English paper and saw the omega glaring at something on his bed. He glanced at it and almost snorted. Math? He's glaring at a math worksheet?

"Do you need help?"

Arthur looked at him in surprise, seeming as though he forgot he was there.

"Do you need help?" Alfred repeated, pointing at the worksheet. Arthur nodded and Alfred walked over to him, looking at the paper. He snorted this time. "You're having trouble with this? This is easy if you know the proper equations."

The look Arthur gave him sent a small shiver down his back, but he kept the smile on his face. "Here, let me show you."

And for five minutes-though it felt much longer-Alfred taught Arthur the best and easiest way to find the radius and diameter of a circle when having only been given its area or circumference. The smaller blonde got his worksheet done and smiled. He signed ' _Thank you_ ' to Alfred, which was putting his hand flat and the fingers on his mouth, then forward and a bit down towards the alpha. The alpha in turn looked at him quizzically. Arthur sighed and grabbed his backpack, rummaging through it until he found what he was looking for: post-it notes.

He grabbed his pencil and wrote ' _I said 'thank you'._ ' on it. He handed the note to the alpha, and Alfred immediately understood.

"Ohhh, sorry. I don't know sign." Alfred explained.

Arthur stared writing on the post-it again. ' _It's fine, I didn't expect you to. I know most people outside the academy don't speak it, I just wanted to see._ '

Alfred read it, and looked at Arthur for a few seconds before grabbing the stack. Arthur watched as he wrote something and was handed the note.

' _I don't see why I shouldn't shut up for a while. I know my brother would appreciate it. ;3_ '

Arthur let out a breathy giggle, and looked up at Alfred, who was smiling brightly.

He grabbed a post-it and wrote back.

' _Alright._ '

They communicated through post-it notes.

Arthur had a bit of trouble at first reading Alfred's handwriting. Alfred noticed and started writing neater. Arthur already had very neat handwriting, so Alfred had no real complaints.

The conversation between them flowed.

 _'What's your full name?'_

 _'Alfred Foster Jones! You?'_

 _'Arthur James Kirkland'_

 _'I'm 19! How old are you :3'_

 _'18'_

 _'What kind of music do you like?'_

 _'I like pop rock, how about you?'_

 _'Top 50's in America'_

 _'Are you American?'_

 _'Yes, you?'_

 _'No, England.'_

 _'Oh, I bet you'd have an accent'_

 _'I did'_

 _'You could speak? Why don't you?'_

Arthur stared at the question, not sure how to answer. He doesn't want to talk about the accident, or what he saw, but he has to have a legitimate reason _why_ he's not...well, not talking.

 _'I was in an accident'_

 _'What happened?'_

 _'I don't want to talk about it'_

 _'You can't anyways ;3'_

Arthur chuckled a bit, recognizing the joke.

 _'Shut up'_

 _'I'm not talking either ;D'_

 _'You should try it more often'_

 _'Artie D:'_

Arthur giggled a bit more as the alpha pouted.

 _'Sorry, sorry'_

 _'You should be, my poor heart is weak'_

To be dramatic, Alfred placed a hand over his heart and pouted more when Arthur looked up from the note.

 _'You're such a child'_

 _'I'm older than you?'_

 _'I'm more mature'_

 _'...Shut up'_

Arthur smiled. He hadn't had this much fun with someone not related to him since he and Kiku were binge watching a lot of animes. (So what Kiku can't hear them? He can still read subtitles!)

 _'Do you like anime?'_

"YES!" Alfred yelled, startling the omega, making him jump and almost fall off the bed, but Alfred caught his arm and pulled him forward.

"Sorry, but yes, I do watch it."

Arthur nodded.

 _'Don't shout out of nowhere, I almost got a bloody heart attack'_

 _'I'm sorry, hugs? ;3'_

Arthur raised an eyebrow, looking up at Alfred, who had his arms wide open, waiting for the hug. Arthur sighed and opened his arms too. _'I hope I don't regret this.'_ He thought.

Alfred hugged him immediately afterward.

' _He smells nice._ ' Arthur thought before Alfred released him. ' _Like a picnic in the summer grass._ '

"Can I talk now? Because I can't stay quiet for a long time, like even when I'm asleep I snore so I'm loud." Alfred chuckled nervously. Arthur nodded. "Cool. So, you have any anime on you?"

Arthur nodded very excitedly, going over to his bookshelf: half filled with books, half with anime/movie dvds, and cds of his favorite bands. He looked over at Alfred and motioned him over before looking back at the shelves. ' _Which one would he like? Has he seen these before? I have seen all of them, but what about him?_ '

"Dude! You have Soul Eater?! I haven't seen this in forever!" Alfred grabbed the disk case and looked at it excitedly.

Arthur bit his lip, unsure how to ask him if he wanted to watch it. He looked at the post-it notes and took one, writing on it.

'Want to watch it?'

Alfred read the note aloud and scoffed. "Duh! C'mon Artie! Let's get to watchin'!"

Arthur wrinkled his nose at the bad grammar. ' _You have a voice, speak it properly._ ' He groaned in his mind.

* * *

 _Guys I finally learned how to do this! :D!_  
 _Anyways, I hope you liked the chapter! Thanks for reading guys ;3!_


	4. Chapter 4: The Start of a Friendship

_Author's POV:_

Arthur and Alfred sat on Arthur's bed as they watched the anime. They got really into it, barely speaking as they watched. (Well, Alfred was.)

Soul Eater was very interesting.

They were a few episodes into the first season when Alfred got a call. Arthur paused it so Alfred could answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey _amigo_ , where are you? _Ya vamonos_ , it's getting late." Antonio yawned on the other side. Alfred looked at his watch and frowned.

 _7:41 pm_

"Oh man it is late. We need to be heading back soon, it's almost lights out. I'll meet you guys at the gate, cool?"

"Alright, _aiya nos vemos_. _Adios_!" Antonio hung up and Alfred sighed.

He looked over at Arthur, who gave him a questioning look.

"It's late, I need to go back to my school soon."

Arthur nodded and got off his bed. He motioned for Alfred to follow him and the two began walking to the exit. Arthur was quiet like usual, his scent not giving Alfred anything about his mood. _Does he...hide his scent?_

"Hey, do you hide your scent?" Alfred 'randomly' asked.

Arthur nodded.

"Why?"

Arthur looked back at him with a look that screamed 'shut up'. Alfred put his hands up in surrender.

"Hey I was just curious about my new friend."

Arthur stopped and looked at him in shock. He curled his fingers into his palm, leaving the pointer finger and thumb out but curved slightly, then interlocked the pointed finger twice, dominant hand on top first then less dominant on top the second time, all with a questioning look on his face.

Alfred stared at it. "Um..."

Arthur sighed and started walking again, ignoring Alfred for the rest of the walk. (At least it felt like he was ignoring him, it's not like they can hold a conversation without Alfred knowing sign.) He walked him all the way to the front gate, then brightened up when he saw Feliciano. The two started rapid fire with signing to each other, both going very fast. Ludwig was talking to his brother in German, and Alfred saw Matthew and Francis chatting in French. He knew some French, but the language he knew most after English was definitely Spanish. He's not very fluent like Antonio, but he took Spanish for foreign language in the academy and knows how to hold a conversation with Antonio moderately well.

"So, how was your first day?" He asked the Spaniard.

"It was great. Lovino curses a lot but he's nice. He can't see me, but he said he still remembers colors so I described myself as best as I could without being so biased, _si_? And he's so cute! His eyes are a very beautiful color, which surprised me since I always thought blind people had those grey eyes that immediately let you know they're blind."

Alfred nodded along. "Hey, you got paired with an omega right?"

" _Si, por que_?"

"Was his scent hidden too?"

"...Yes actually, it was. I wonder why."

"You think you can ask him tomorrow? I asked my partner but he just glared at me." Alfred looked over at Arthur, who signed something and made Feliciano giggle.

"Well, we should be heading back now." Ludwig grumbled. The group started walking away as Gilbert laughed behind them.

"Hey West! You better come back tomorrow! And bring that American-Canadian too! He was fun to talk to!"

Matthew blushed as they walked and sped up a bit. (Alfred ignored it for the most part, but if he tried anything on his bro, they would definitely fight.)

* * *

"Hey Ludwig, I have a question." Alfred told the alpha as they walked up the stairs. They both lived on the same floor, but Ludwig was a few doors down.

"Ja, what is it?" He asked.

"What does this mean?" Alfred stopped walking and repeated the sign Arthur did as best as he could; he curled his fingers, leaving the pointer finger and thumb out but with no curve, then interlocked the pointed finger twice, dominant hand on top first then less dominant on top the second time. Ludwig watched and nodded.

"Oh, you mean this." Ludwig repeated the movements, but he did curl the pointer finger and thumb. "This means friend."

Alfred nodded. "How do you say 'we are friends' in sign?"

"You do this."

Ludwig pointed at Alfred. "You." He held his hand out with the palm facing himself and fingers in a circular motion in the middle of his body, then as he brought it to the right, the fingers closed in front of his shoulder. "And." He held up his pinkie. "I." He did the motion for friends again. "Friend."

"But that makes no sense speaking wise?" Alfred asked, feeling confused.

"Sometimes, so you don't take up too much time, a person only signs a few words of a sentence to the other. That's not so say some of them will always understand, so most just do the whole sentence. Arthur is smart, he'll know what you meant." Ludwig patted his shoulder and started walking off, but Alfred stopped him again.

"Wait, uh, how did Arthur lose his voice? He kinda let it slip that he used to be able to talk, but was he in some type of accident or something?" He asked.

Ludwig sighed. "Not to be cliche, but it's not my place to tell. I will say that yes, he was in an accident, and if he tried, he'd be able to talk. There's just something keeping him from it."

Alfred nodded. "Right, thank you."

They walked off to their rooms, both thinking deeply.

As soon as Alfred closed his door, he started practicing what Ludwig taught him. "You and I friend. You and I friend. You and I friend." He mumbled over and over until he was sure he got it perfectly.

* * *

The next day, Alfred went through his classes and practice working on the one phrase.

"You and I friend." He mumbled as he walked to his room, practicing the motions. He didn't watch where he was going and ultimately ran into someone. He looked up and saw Mattie.

"Oh hey Matt when are we leaving to the academy?" Alfred asked him.

"Uh, around 2:30 I think, why?" Matt asked, looking at his watch.

1:27 pm

"I just wanted to finish my homework before we left, that's all. I'll see you later bro!"

Alfred ran to his room as he waved back at his brother, a plan forming in his head.

' _Artie'll like it! I'm sure of it! It's never failed!_ ' He smirked to himself.

* * *

Arthur stared at the giant box of chocolates Alfred pulled out of his backpack and placed on his lap. He just blinked, unsure what it meant. He looked back up at Alfred curiously.

The two met up when Arthur was walking through the front garden just as the group got there and Alfred immediately requested they go to Arthur's place again. Arthur didn't think anything of it-his brothers (all alphas) visit all the time so he wasn't new to it-and took him to his room again, only to be sat down on the bed as soon as the door closed and have a big box placed on his lap.

"It's an apology for if I offended you with the whole 'covering-scent' and 'why-are-you-mute' stuff yesterday. I hope you accept it." Alfred smiled.

Arthur looked back down at it and bit the inside of his cheek. He did like chocolate, and it was supposed to be an apology-even though Alfred didn't really do anything wrong. He sighed and looked at the alpha, this time giving him a smile and nodding, bringing the box close to show he accepted it.

"Really? Great! Oh, I forgot! I have another surprise for you. Don't laugh if I mess up, I'm still pretty knew at this." Alfred warned before raising his hands.

Point at Arthur. Do the whole hand in the middle then closes as it comes towards the shoulder thing with right hand. Stick out pinkie. All but fingers but pointer and thumb curled into palm on both hands, make pointer and thumb look like a 'c', interlock first time with right hand's pointer on top, interlock second time with left hand's pointer on top. "You and I friend." He said as he signed.

Arthur beamed and clapped. He messed up a bit with the 'and' but he didn't care. Alfred was trying. That was more than anyone else had done in the past.

"Really?! I did good?!" Alfred asked excitedly. Arthur got off the bed, placing the chocolates on his desk and grabbing the stack of post-it notes. He got a pen and began writing.

' _You messed up the 'and' a bit but I'm very proud. You did good Alfred._ '

Alfred beamed after reading the note. "Great! So that means you consider us friends too?"

Arthur smiled and nodded. ' _Duh._ ' He wrote again.

* * *

 _Yay another one up! I'm getting better at this!_

 _BTW, in case any of you were wondering, I'm using ASL aka American Sign Language. I am well aware that it's different from other countries' sign language (except Canada, I'm pretty sure they share the same one) but I am from America so I gotta do what I can with my limited resources. Sorry if any of you are from different countries and didn't recognize any signs. I am also kinda bad at describing the signs and their motions so I'm sorry about that if it sounds weird. Please feel free to look it up yourself if you don't understand what I'm writing, I won't be mad, promise!_

 _Also that little fact Ludwig told Alfie? The whole "a person only signs a few words of a sentence to the other, and it can still be understood by the person receiving the message" thing is true. I mean, we text each other lik ths dnt we? We didn't necessarily need that one letter there to understand the word. It's the same with them, but they can drop a word completely! Cool huh?!_

 _I would also like to add that even though this is mainly UsUk, I will sometimes focus on other ships in here like PruCan or GerIta. Can't leave them out of the equation!_

 _Until next time guys! ^.^_


	5. Chapter 5: Let's Focus on Others!

_Author's POV:_

 _Spamano_

Antonio watched as Alfred dragged his buddy away, the poor omega looking very confused. He remembered the conversation the two friends had the previous day and went to search for his omega partner.

"Hey Ludwig, do you know where my buddy would be at?" He asked the fellow alpha who was already hugging his buddy. _'They're dating right?'_

"Lovino? Let me ask Feli." He looked at his boyfriend and asked him.

Feliciano responded with a bright smile. "Cafeteria. He's getting lunch." Ludwig translated.

"Oh, how do you say 'thank you'?" Antonio smiled at Feliciano. He noticed the little curl on his head and thought back to Lovino.

"You say 'thank you' like this." Ludwig held his right hand flat, placing the tips of his fingers on his lips, then began lowering it and bringing it closer to the person in front of him. Antonio repeated the motions to Feliciano, who smiled and nodded.

"Well I'm off to find him, I'll see you later. _Gracias otra vez_!"

Antonio started walking around the campus, exploring it with interest.

"LISTEN HERE YOU BITCH! IF YOU DO NOT GIVE ME MY FUCKING PASTA I WILL KILL YOU!"

"For the last time Lovino, we ran out and the kitchen is closing until tea time and dinner."

Antonio looked over at Lovino, who was cussing out a female beta, who simply looked unimpressed.

"Michelle I need pasta to live." Lovino warned.

"If you want it so much, I can call someone to drive you to a restaurant in the city so you can buy some. I am not making you anymore, I have to visit Sanjay. His class is over and I have an hour 'til his next one."

"...Shut up and leave."

The beta smiled. "I'll make you extra tomorrow, promise. Bye."

"Bye."

As the beta walked off, she gave a subtle head nod to Antonio. He gave her a greeting and walked up next to Lovino, who sniffed and ruffled his eyebrows.

"...Tomato bastard?"

"Lovi! I'm back!"

"I thought I told you to fuck off forever."

"No."

"Well since you're here, can you drive?"

"I can, yes."

"Alright, I need you to drive me to get food."

"Let me guess, pasta?"

"You heard me?"

"You were kinda loud." Antonio smiled.

"Well anyways, yes. Let's go to the office, they'll let you borrow a school car as long as you have a licence on you."

"I do, so let's go!" Antonio guided Lovino towards the office ("I CAN DO IT MYSELF BASTARD!") when the question Alfred had from the previous day struck him.

"Hey Lovi, how come you omegas hide your scents?"

"We hide them so the alphas around campus don't try to mate with us. It gets hard to keep them under control when their mates are in the next building over, they try to make their mates skip classes so they're always there, especially if the alpha is blind. They find ways, so we hide them for our safety."

Antonio frowned. "That's horrible. _Que malos_."

Lovino nodded. They walked into the office, where Gilbert was yelling at Ludwig and Feliciano and Matthew were face palming.

"YOU WERE DATING FELI THIS WHOLE TIME AND YOU NEVER TOLD ME?! BETRAYAL!" Gilbert moaned.

"Chigi~Hey older potato bastard, even _I_ knew they were dating." Lovino snorted. The two that could see and hear looked over at them, Feliciano only looking because he saw Ludwig turn.

"The bitchy one knew and not me?!" Gilbert shrieked.

"BITCH!"

"...Arthur knows too." Ludwig slowly brought up after a moment of silence.

Gilbert crumbled to the floor. "My brother doesn't love me enough to tell me who he's dating." He cried.

Feliciano smiled at Lovino, completely ignoring Gilbert, and gave him a hug.

"Hey Feli." The blind brother mumbled, despite knowing he couldn't hear.

The two brothers were also in an accident, but theirs wasn't as severe as the Kirkland's.

"We were going to go eat if you want to come with." Antonio smiled at the group.

Gilbert got up and smiled. "FOOD?! FUCK JA!"

"How? You need clearance to leave?" Ludwig raised an eyebrow.

"Younger Potato, you come with. They trust you for some reason. Now let's go, I didn't get pasta here and if I don't get it soon I'm going to fucking riot."

"We should go." Matthew smiled. "It could be fun."

And so Ludwig drove the six to the the city in search of a restaurant.

* * *

 _GerIta_

Ludwig was on the driver's seat, Feliciano in the passenger's seat, Gilbert and Matthew took the middle, and Lovino and Antonio were on the very back.

"What restaurant do you want to go to?" Ludwig asked the older omega. It's no surprise that Feliciano is the younger of the two.

"The Italian one." Lovino demanded.

"Alright."

He drove to the Italian one named _Chichi's_ , run by a couple from Italy. The two omega brothers were frequent visitors to the establishment (usually taken by either Ludwig or a worker in the academy), and they workers knew them so well that they even knew where to sit them, what food they'd want, and what to drink.

"Ah my boys! Welcome back, how have you been?" The owner smiled. The alpha was a petite female with a think accent. Her long auburn hair that was graying in a few places, and the apron she wore had a mysterious sauce on it. She was signing as she spoke, baffling Matthew and Antonio.

" _Ciao_ Mrs. Bianchi. We've been well." Ludwig shook the alpha's hand.

"Ludwig, you've grown more! I thought I told you stop." The woman scolded as she guided the six to a booth in a far corner.

"I couldn't if I tried, ma'am." Ludwig said seriously, making the woman laugh. Gilbert, for once, stayed quiet. He didn't look around, but he did listen to everything around him intently.

Feliciano noticed and poked him. He always did that when he noticed the alpha be too quiet.

"Kesesese! Hey lady, I want my regular!" Gilbert laughed as he was sat down with Ludwig's help.

"Gilbert, _halt deined mund._ " Ludwig glared. "Be nice."

"Oh it's fine, he's just hungry." The woman waved him off and walked away, not bothering to give menus. "I'll be back in a bit for your orders."

"...What's good here?" Matthew asked.

"The _'Pasta al Pomodoro'_ is one of their specialties here." Gilbert responded. "And I fucking love their Shirley Temples."

Ludwig ignored their conversations to talk to Feliciano.

' _You okay?_ ' Point at Feliciano. Make the universally known 'okay' sign, O with pointer and thumb, the rest curving above it.

' _Hungry._ ' Making a 'c' motion with his hand and the fingertips and the palm towards his chest, arm horizontal,going from the top of his chest down to the stomach.

Ludwig nodded.

Mrs. Bianchi came back with a notepad and pen, smiling. "Okay boys. Four get their regulars, and you two boys, what can I get you?"

"I'll take what Gilbert's having." Matthew smiled.

"I'll take Lovino's order." Antonio said distractedly, looking at Lovino. Feliciano noticed and giggled, alerting Lovino.

"What Feli?" He asked, giving a questioning scent.

Feliciano took his hands from across the table and signed a simple word: _love_. Pinkie up, ring and middle finger down, pointer up, thumb sticking out. Similar to the 'rock out' sign seen sometimes.

"Yes Feli, I love you too."

He seemed satisfied by whatever Lovino said and went back to signing with Ludwig. Ludwig smiled at Feliciano as he told him about his day. It was fun, talking to him. He started dating Feliciano after having been long terms friends with him. The funny thing was, everyone thought Ludwig asked him out but it was the opposite: Feli asked him out! Usually an alpha takes the first move, but Ludwig was shy around him so he took the lead in asking him out. They started dating during the summer.

And Gilbert never knew.

* * *

 _PruCan_

Matthew didn't fail to smile when Ludwig and Feliciano spoke to each other. He wasn't fluent in sign or knew any words but he does try to learn by scent what each sign means, though he couldn't smell Lovino or Feliciano's scents for some reason.

"Hey, Mattie right?" Gilbert asked. He looked over at the German, who had his eyes closed. He noticed they were always closed or hidden behind dark glasses. He was wearing some yesterday.

"Yeah, my name is Matthew." He nodded.

"How are you liking this...volunteering stuff?"

"I actually really like it. It's fun being able to leave our place and go to yours and meet people like you." When Gilbert stayed quiet, Matthew panicked. "I-I didn't mean it in a bad way! I meant I wanted to learn more about what your situations were like!"

"Mattie, chill. I was just wondering why someone like you would be interested in people like us." Gilbert sighed.

Matthew frowned. "Why not? Why wouldn't I be?"

"Normies don'r usually show an interest in us unless they're our families, that's all." Gilbert shrugged.

"'Normies'...I'm guessing you mean people like me?" Matthew asked curiously.

"Yeah, you people with good vision that can see the world around you, the ones who can hear and speak and communicate having only slight difficulty. They don't seem to show interest in people like us, your opposites. I'm just wondering why."

Matthew stared. "Because you guys exist too. Why should we stop talking to you, or never talk to you at all? It's like we're believing you're not even _there_."

Gilbert let out a chuckle and opened his eyes, and Matthew looked into them, almost expecting them to stare back.

They were beautiful in Matthew's opinion. They were such a rich red color on top, but as you went lover, they seemed to blend with blue, to make an almost dark violet color. _'It isn't uncommon for albinos to have red irises in their eyes'_ , Matthew remembered from an online article from a medical school he read once, _'and they are usually very pale and have very light, almost white hair. It is because their bodies don't have proper pigmentation.'_

"So you're here because we exist?"

"I'm here because I accept you exist."

Gilbert nodded, as if satisfied by Matthew's answer. "You keep believing that Mattie."

"You can't stop me."

* * *

 _Yes, I know, not UsUk, but I did say I would focus on others too! The next one will be UsUk, no worries. ;) Hope you liked it!_


	6. Chapter 6: Chocolates and Movies

_Author's POV:_

Alfred smiled at Arthur and hugged him. Arthur didn't mind the hug. He gets them from his friends a lot, and Alfred was a friend. Nothing wrong with a simple hug. Nothing. Not at all. Just a hug. Yup. Not like he smelled good or anything. No he smelled, he smelled...like grass in the summer fields. Did he wear cologne? It smelled like he did.

' _Arthur you've been hugging too long let go.'_ He thought quickly and dropped his arms from around Alfred's mid-section.

Alfred frowned a bit but let go. He started smiling at Arthur again and the two stared at each other, not sure what to do.

"Do you have your sticky-notes?" Alfred asked.

Arthur nodded and grabbed his backpack, digging through it and getting out his pack of notes. He grabbed a green pen gifted to him by Michelle a while back, looking up at Alfred who took out a blue pen. He thought back to yesterday and chuckled. He and Alfred were using the same pens as the day before.

Once again, the two sat on Arthur's bed and started talking to each other.

 _'How was your day today ;D? Better now that I'm here?'_

 _'My day was fine thank you. It's been a good day all day, you didn't affect it.'_

 _'ARTIE! D: I thought we were friends now!'_

Arthur chuckled and looked up at Alfred, who was pouting.

 _'You pout a lot don't you?'_

 _'Shut up.'_

 _'I didn't say anything ;)'_

 _'You used an emoji!'_

 _'Yes and?'_

 _'You rarely use them'_

 _'I don't particularly like them'_

 _'Why not?'_

 _'Why use an emojicon when you have a face instead? I see no point.'_

 _'You can't see someone's face when they're texting you on their phone either.'_

Arthur stared at the note and nodded slowly, looking up at Alfred for a split second before looking back down.

 _'Do you have a phone?'_

 _'Duh! You?'_

 _'Yes'_

 _'Dude give me your #!'_

 _'Wait a tick and I'll give it.'_

Arthur grabbed his phone from his back pocket. He unlocked it-being sure that Alfred _didn't_ see his password-and held it out for Alfred so he could put his number in. Alfred smiled and wrote it in, then started texting himself. Arthur looked over at what he sent and blushed.

 _"Hey it's Arthur"_

 _"You're so handsome"_

 _"So cute"_

 _";* ;* ;*"_

Arthur ripped his phone out of Alfred's hands and sent him a text before locking it again.

Alfred took out his phone and looked at the text.

 _"Fuck you"_

"Gee Artie, we just met. At least take me to dinner first." Alfred winked at Arthur, who rolled his eyes plucked the box of chocolates from the desk. He put it back on his lap and started reading the ingredients.

Alfred watched, wondering what he was looking for. Arthur sighed and handed the box back to Alfred. Alfred's face fell.

"What? Don't you want them?" Alfred asked. Arthur opened his mouth, but closed it again.

Alfred thought back to what Ludwig said, looking at the box with a frown. He can talk, there was just something keeping him from it.

While deep in thought, Arthur wrote him a note and put it on the box. Alfred read it to himself quietly.

 _'I'm allergic to peanuts.'_

"Oh. Sorry."

 _'You didn't know, it's fine. Thank you for the chocolates, but I can't eat them. Some have peanuts and others don't, I'm not too fond on finding out.'_

Alfred opened the box and noticed Arthur staring at the chocolates inside hungrily.

He picked up one of the chocolates and pulled it in half. It was caramel filled, but no nuts. Alfred handed one half to Arthur and ate the other one. Arthur ate his, a happy look in his eyes. They kept going through the box, Alfred eating all the ones with peanuts. They finished the box, much to their sadness.

The two laid on the bed and Arthur set up a movie on his computer. _("Which one?" "Captain America!" "Titanic it is.")_

"Do you want a kiss?" Alfred asked during the sex scene in the movie, pulling out one of the chocolates from his backpack. He had a whole bag of them that he doesn't like to share with anyone. (He was also unaware that he was saying it during a _sex scene_.)

Arthur gave him a confused look. Alfred's eyes widened when he realized how he phrased it, and during which scene too. "NO WAIT I DIDN'T MEAN THAT KIND I MEANT THE CHOCOLATE HERE!" He tossed it over to the omega and stuffed his face with a few, completely forgetting about the wrappers.

Arthur calmly unwrapped his and watched as Alfred chocked on them.

The alpha fell off the bed in his haste and Arthur leaned over the side to see if Alfred was okay. Well he was breathing, that's good.

Arthur tossed him down a water bottle he kept on his desk, hitting his stomach, making him cough. "OW!"

The omega laid on his stomach on the soft bed, looking down at the groaning alpha.

 _'You okay?'_ He signed. Point at Alfred. Make 'okay' sign: 'o' with pointer and thumb, middle, ring, and pinkie sticking up.

"No." Alfred groaned, having saw the sign.

Arthur smiled. _'Well, at least he understood it.'_

The movie played in the background as Arthur stared at Alfred, who still wallowed in self pity.

"Jack." Rose said in a hoarse voice in the movie. Arthur glanced at the screen and saw it was at the part after Jack made Rose get on the floating wood.

He looked back down at Alfred and couldn't help a small laugh that passed his lips. They were almost reenacting the scene now. Alfred seemed to have read his mind because he stopped his pouting and got on his knees, taken one of Arthur's hands in his and started talking along with Jack, quoting him perfectly. He said absolutely _nothing_.

Because Jack was _dead_. (Arthur hated that they killed Leonardo DiCaprio!)

"Arthur you need to look sadder. I'm dead." Alfred stage whispered. Arthur rolled his eyes and then looked back to see where they were in the movie. Rose was prying Jack's hand off her wrist.

Arthur looked back at Alfred with a smirk. "Arthur?" Alfred asked cautiously.

Arthur pried Alfred's hand out of his and pushed him down to the ground.

"Hey." Alfred whined.

Arthur shushed him and pointed at the computer screen. He was already sinking and Rose was swimming away.

Alfred jumped onto the bed and laid down next to Arthur, the two eating from the baggie of chocolate kisses.

When the movie ended, Alfred suggested another one.

"Captain America!"

Arthur rolled his eyes, but searched it up and put it on.

"Thanks Artie!" Alfred hugged him, and Arthur snickered and tried to push him off.

 _'He's heavy. Oh moon he's heavier than Alister!'_ Arthur thought.

Alfred kept an arm over him as the two watched the movie. Arthur liked Peggy. She was the best character-other than Bucky-in his mind.

"Steve is the best! I look like him don't you think?" Alfred smiled. Arthur looked over and shrugged.

 _'Yes, yes you do.'_

The two watched the remainder of the Captain America movie, Alfred even suggested watching the rest of the Marvel movies up to Civil War.

It was fun.

At around 7:32, Alfred got a call.

"Hello?"

" _Oye amigo, ya nos vamos_." Antonio said on the other line.

"Alright. I'll meet you guys by the gate."

" _Ay nos vemos!_ "

Alfred hung up and got off the bed. Arthur followed.

The two walked silently towards the gate. There wasn't much they could say anyways.

When they got to the group, Arthur rushed over to Feliciano. The two started chatting again. Alfred couldn't understand what he was saying, so he went to find Ludwig.

He found him talking with Antonio and Gilbert. Francis was there too, surprisingly. He didn't like talking to random people much, sorta like Matthew. (Who Alfred spotted talking to Lovino.)

"Hey Ludwig."

"Alfred. I hope you enjoyed your day with Arthur."

"It was fun, we watched movies and junk."

The group chatted about what they did that day, no one saying anything very detailed. ("Alister took me to his room and we talked. He's had quite the life." Francis commented.)

It wasn't until Feliciano poked Ludwig enough times to get noticed did they realize they hadn't left. They almost didn't want to in a way.

"Yes Feli?" Ludwig spoke as he signed.

Feliciano pointed at Alfred, then Arthur, and using his right hand, he signed 'no'. To sign it, he folded down his pinkie and ring fingers but kept his middle, pointer, and thumb sticking out. Then he brought the three appendages together.

Ludwig nodded in understanding while Alfred gave him a confused look.

"What did he say?"

"Arthur said not to come over for the rest of the week." Ludwig explained.

"Wha-why?! Is it the chocolate thing? I can get him different ones!" Alfred pouted.

"You got Kirkland chocolates?" Gilbert started to laugh. "Oh man, you should have proposed on the spot! That omega would kill a man for chocolates!"

"Ignore that." Ludwig sent his brother a look. "What I think he means is, Arthur may be starting his heat soon and doesn't want you around for obvious reasons."

"...OH. I'll go confirm that." Alfred left the group and walked over to Arthur, who seemed to be patiently waiting for Feliciano.

Arthur gave him the salute, which Alfred returned with a bright smile. "Hey Artie, just to confirm, all next week I can't come over?" Arthur nodded. "Is it because of your heat?" Arthur shyly nodded. "Oh, well okay. Text me when it's safe to go back." Alfred took out his phone and waved it around, making Arthur smile and nod.

" _Amigo! Vamonos!_ " Antonio yelled.

"I gotta go, see you later Artie." Alfred waved as he ran off to meet up with the rest.

* * *

 _So I've been gone for a while. Hope you guys liked it! :3_


	7. Chapter 7: This Is Gonna Be A Long Week

_Okay before this starts, quick message: I cannot for the life of me write good smut or anything related to it. It's not that it makes me uncomfortable or stuff, I just am not good at it...at all. I'll try to write it good on here though ^.^! Also no this part doesn't have body-body smexy smut, it's just Arthur in heat (toys), too early for anything else! God I'm a mushy mess writing this T^T_

 _Apr 25, 2018 A/N: Okay, so I changed things up because I don't want my work taken down (completely forgot that one rule). It's edited to accommodate the website's rules! I did also post this on my wattpad with the original version if you want to read that. My wattpad is Pickosita5!_

* * *

 _Author's POV:_

Poor Arthur's heat started two days after Alfred and the rest came over. He was in his specially prepared nest room and already in his nest, whining and panting at how hot he was.

"Ngh...ah" He panted, his pjs feeling too hot. He wiggled out of his pajama pants and took of his shirt. He whined more, his regular and heat-filled scents filling his sound-proof and scent-proof room.

He needs an Alpha. He wanted an alpha with him _right now_.

A flash of Alfred's face came to mind but he quickly shook his head. No, no way. _He just met the guy_! There's no way he will fantasize about him in his heat!

' _But he's everything you ever wanted in one!_ ' A hornier side of him said. ' _Look at him: the dark blond hair, the dazzling ocean blue eyes, the delicious body! You saw those muscles through his shirt the second day! He's gotta be really fucking strong!_ '

Arthur groaned, feeling like he was reaching his limit. He pulled off his sticky underwear, his body making it seem like he was on fire. He imagined an alpha on top of him so he didn't feel so alone. The alpha would be flush against him, skin on skin, the weight feeling comforting, not like he was being crushed.

' _C'mon Arthur,_ ' he'd growl into his ear and nip it. ' _show me what you want._ '

Arthur whined, trying to lean into the alpha that wasn't there.

' _Artie~_ ' He sang sweetly in his ear, and one of his hands went to his left nipple. The fingers rolled and pinched the rosy bud, making Arthur moan and arch his back a bit, wanting to feel the warm chest of an alpha there.

Agonizingly slow, he got on his knees and lifted his ass in the air, imagining his alpha in the nest. His natural self-lubricant made a mess.

' _You look so beautiful, Arthur._ ' The voice whispered. He could feel the warm breath on his ear and shivered.

"Ngh" He whimpered in response.

' _Think I can fit?_ ' The voice cooed.

' _Alfred!_ ' He didn't even have time to register what name he was thinking about before ecstatsy filled his mind.

' _Loudly Artie._ ' He whispered and rutted against him.

"A-Ah." Arthur moaned louder. He rutted again.

' ** _Louder._** '

' _I would if I could spe-_ '

Arthur screamed, everything feeling sensitive and _good_. His legs became too shaky to hold himself up anymore, and without the support of an alpha holding him up, he fell onto the nest. Breathing heavily, Arthur pulled a blanket over himself-which thankfully wasn't soiled-and nuzzled his face into one of the pillows, feeling tired from his climax. He imagined the Alpha wrap his arms around Arthur and pull him close as he knotted and cuddled with him. Yeah, that was a nice dream.

* * *

Alfred sighed, bored out of his mind. The rest of his friends got to hang out with their buddies and he didn't because of a stupid heat. Well, he knew they were natural but why couldn't it have come later?! Alfred was going to sneak Arthur out of the place and go somewhere!

"Why do they last a week anyway? Why not a day? Three hours? Why does it have to be so long?" He grumbled as he did his homework. Practice was cancelled due to the rain and he was really excited to go see Arthur earlier, until Matt reminded him that he couldn't go.

"Stupid heats. He probably has an alpha with him...wait. Antonio told me the whole reason why they hide scents. Does that mean he's alone?"

Alfred dropped his pencil and leaned back against the chair, thinking about the possibility. Arthur, in his nest, all alone. Poor guy must be suffering! A hero like Alfred could save him!

Wait wait wait, no. He can't just show up and _do_ Arthur! That goes against his moral codes!...But is it really when he's saving him from loneliness?

No, nope, he isn't getting hard at the thought of Arthur being in heat. He just met the dude! Granted, he was cute with his pretty, big green eyes and the light freckles that sprinkled his face and those pouty lips that would look great wrapped around his-

"NO! STOP! YOU NEED MOON GODDESS ALFRED!" He yelled and smacked himself.

* * *

Arthur opened his eyes and yawned, sitting up in his nest. He wasn't feeling the heat yet so he decided to grab a snack and use the bathroom. The whole dorm was scent-proof so he didn't worry about an alpha smelling him and trying to get to him. He grabbed an apple from his mini-fridge and ate it, pulling on a shirt too big for him that Dylan bought for him a few months ago. It had no scent other than his so it didn't do anything for him but kept him from feeling totally naked.

When he finished his apple, Arthur walked into his bathroom and did his business, not even bothering to shower when he was just going to dirty himself again in a few minutes. He walked back out and towards his nest, feeling the heat begin to pool in his lower stomach.

He laid down and waited until it took over, looking at the empty side of his nest where an alpha would be. His alpha. He sighed and reached for a vibrator.

' _This is going to be a long week._ '

* * *

 _First NSFW thingy! I have no real idea how good it was. I had to get help from a friend. This chapter was kinda short T~T because of the edits._

 _The 'Moon Goddess' thing is basically their religion, so it's like Christianity or Judaism but not!_

 _I think this is more within the rules, but if you catch anything please feel free to tell me! Thanks for reading!_


	8. Chapter 8: Hello Again

_Author's POV:_

Alfred woke up Saturday morning with a text from Arthur.

He didn't really see it the first time he checked his phone, opening up his Spotify app and going on his work out playlist. He put on some work out clothes, his earbuds, and went on his morning run. It was raining outside so he doubted there was practice that day, his coach may be harsh sometimes but he does care about the team and doesn't want them getting sick. On his jog, he passed Antonio and Ludwig, both doing their own thing and who nicely waved at him as he passed.

At the end of his jog, he was back in his dorm and went to shower, grabbing some clothes before hand.

It was after his shower and when he started messing with his apps that noticed the text notification. He tapped on it and read it.

' _Hello Alfred. It's Arthur. My heat is over if you wanted to come over today._ '

He read it over again. And again. Three times.

"His heat is over." Alfred mumbled, and smiled.

He sat on his bed and started texting a reply.

' _Hey Artie! So your heat is over? That's cool. I'll come over later! See ya soon!_ '

After he sent it, he got up from his bed and grabbed his stuff. There was no assigned homework-yay-so he only put his computer into his backpack. He threw on a hoodie and stuffed his phone in his pocket and started leaving his room. Because it was Saturday, there were no classes that day and students were free to go into the town or stay within the academy. Alfred had a wicked smile on his face as he ran to the car garage and got out his car (his parents gave it to him for his 16th birthday as a congrats on passing the driving test his second try) (Alfred was still sour that the squirrel got in the road and made him swerve to avoid hitting it, instead getting on the sidewalk and getting the car stuck).

It was a red 20XX Porsche 718 Cayman.

He was _not_ walking in the rain.

The blond jumped into the driver's seat and drove out the student garage, going to Arthur's academy. He saw a car garage ahead and drove into it, seeing a security guard at the gate.

"Name, name of student you're visiting, and relation to student." She recited in a monotonous voice, not looking away from her computer to inspect him yet. By her scent, or lack thereof, Alfred could tell she was a Beta.

"Ah, Alfred F. Jones, Arthur Kirkland, I'm his assigned buddy? I mean, I go to the other academy up the road. Here's my student ID and drivers license." He got the two IDs from his wallet and gave them to the guard, who looked them over.

"Oh, that buddy stuff started huh?" She mumbled as she went onto her computer to type in his name. "If this is going to be a frequent thing, you need to get a car pass from the main office which allows you to leave your car here regularly. It also lets you take out up to three students at a time from the academy. Garage hours are 5am-11pm. Here's the slip you need to give me on your way out. The pass, if and when you get it, allows you to just show it to me and you don't get any slips or need to pay. Since you're a student, this stuff is generally free, but after about 20 times you do need to pay, so I suggest getting a pass. Have a great day." She handed back the two IDs and the little handle went up, letting Alfred drive in and find a place to park.

He parked on the first floor and found the exit leading to the main office. "Well today's my lucky day." Alfred smiled as he passed a young alpha boy who was smiling and running in the rain, looking very happy and excited.

Walking into the office, Alfred saw a few parents sitting on chairs, most likely waiting to see their kids. The lady behind the counter was free so he walked over to her and gave her a charming smile. The fellow alpha gave him a knowing look.

"How may I help you today, sir?" She asked politely.

"Hi, I would like to sign up for a car pass? I'm Alfred F. Jones, and I go to the academy up the road." He told her.

"Do you have your license on you?" She asked. "There's also a $5 fine for getting one."

"Yeah, here you go."

He handed her his drivers license and she went onto her computer, typing in information. After a three minute period of Alfred awkwardly standing at the counter, the alpha behind the counter gave him back his ID, along with a plastic rectangle that was printed out from beside the counter.

"Here's your ID and your car pass. Of course, I also need those $5. You have a week to pay it off unless you have the money now?"

Alfred reached into his pocket and took out some bills, handing the amount needed to the lady.

"Thank you, have a nice day." She smiled and went back to work. Alfred nodded and left the counter, looking around for the exit that led to the student housings.

* * *

Arthur was in his omega class, watching their omega teacher as he once again taught them how to sew clothes. He already knew this stuff. He's taken this class three times. He was almost done with his project. He needed to do something new in his life. He was bored.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he looked up to make sure the teacher wasn't looking at the class before looking at who was texting him. A small smile appeared when he read Alfred .

' _Hey Artie! :D_ '

' _Where are you?_ '

' _I'm at your room n ur not here D:_ '

After glancing at his teacher who was currently showing the class the best sewing techniques to use on their projects, he shot Alfred a quick text.

' _I'm in class, it's almost over. Give me ~7min_ '

He put his phone away and looked up right when the teacher did and started sewing the finishing touches on the baby clothes they were tasked to make. The assignment was a jumpsuit with a hood. His was a mint green color and Arthur had sewed on some wings to its back and bunny ears on the hood. A mint green flying bunny.

Arthur smiled at his finish product and looked up at the teacher as he passed by, showing him.

"That's great Arthur! A+." He smiled.

Arthur beamed after the teacher took his project and looked down at his phone again.

' _Where is it located? I can pick u uo!_ '

' _*up oops_ '

' _Room 5 in the 300 building_ '

Arthur had a resting smile on his face as he waited for the rest of the class to finish and turn in their projects.

After about five minutes, he watched as the last student-a little girl around 7 who he believed went by Emma-turned in her project. The teacher nodded and signaled to them that class was over.

Having already packed up his stuff, Arthur got up from his work station and walked out of the classroom, looking around and frowning when he didn't see Alfred.

' _Perhaps he's lost?_ ' He thought, walking over to the end of the corridor and staring at the rain, sticking a hand out to see how fast it was coming down, and how cold. He didn't have an umbrella on him and his sweater had no hood. If he got out there, he'd be soaked in seconds, judging by how cold his hand is.

Arthur sighed and retracted it, looking up at the sky. ' _Why couldn't it have rained_ that _day?_ '

Seemingly out of nowhere, a jacket was thrown over him. He jumped in surprise and looked up to see Alfred.

"Artie! Sorry if you've been waiting here for a while, I couldn't find the building. You looked cold so here's my jacket. Do you wanna head back to your room?"

Arthur took a moment to look Alfred over. Now that he wasn't wearing his jacket, his strong arms were visible. Was he an athlete? He'd have to ask. He had a strong build and was tall, probably a whole head and some more. The shortish-omega gene was genetically passed down to him from his mum's side, making him 5'4".

After realizing he was just staring, Arthur looked away with a small blush and nodded, walking back to the dorms. Alfred made sure the jacket covered his head, but didn't take any protection for himself. Arthur tried to get him under too, but he didn't understand the gestures, or if he did, he ignored them.

By the time they reached the entrance to the dorms, Alfred was soaking wet, and Arthur could very clearly seen his skin through his white shirt.

' _Who wears white shirts when it rains?!_ ' Arthur almost groaned. He took off the jacket and smiled half-heartedly as he handed it back to Alfred. Alfred waved it off.

"It's a jacket, it's going to get one of these days." He shrugged. Arthur nodded and they walked to Arthur's room together.

* * *

It was quiet when they walked to Arthur's room, both thinking about something different.

Alfred was mainly thinking about how amazing Arthur's scent was. It was like a mix of tea and honey and freshly baked goods. He wanted to bury his nose in that scent until it was all he could smell. He felt almost addicted to it. There were spikes of concern for Alfred's health mixed with the honey, making Alfred smile a bit. He walked a bit closer to Arthur, who seemed to be thinking quite hard about something, and almost bumped their hands together. Arthur looked up at him, feeling his presence and Alfred smiled innocently.

"What?" He asked.

Arthur frowned and raised an accusing eyebrow. ' _He has cute eyebrows._ '

Alfred kept the innocent smile up until they reached Arthur's room. The omega opened up his door and the two walked in, already getting warmed up. Arthur headed over to his closet and handed Alfred a towel, which he happily accepted and used to dry off his hair.

"Do you mind if I take off my shirt?" Alfred asked. Arthur shook his head and started taking off his sweater. Before taking off his shirt, he pulled out another large shirt from his closet and immediately took off the wet one, letting the baggy shirt consume his tiny figure. Alfred stared, thinking about how cute he looked. It was so big and made him look so small.

"Have any that can fit me?"

Arthur shrugged and looked through the closet, finally pulling out one that seemed to be his size. Alfred pulled it on. A bit tight, but it was good.

They both sat on the floor (Arthur didn't want to wet his bed) and Arthur pulled out his computer to watch a movie. A blanket also appeared but Alfred didn't ask from where.

"Hello."

Arthur looked up at Alfred, who was watching the movie intently. (Moana is a great movie)

"I realized I never said a proper greeting, so hello."

Arthur did the salute back with a small chuckle and cuddled up closer to Alfred.

' _He's warm._ ' Arthur smiled.

* * *

 _That's all I got for this one! I hope you guys liked it! I've also been reading over your reviews and I wanted to thank you guys for them. They're really great and seeing them makes me happy! ^^_

 _Have s great day everyone!_


	9. Chapter 9: Rainy Lullabies

_Author's POV:_

Alfred and Arthur were cuddled together on the floor, warming each other up as the rain continued outside.

Both had fallen asleep as they watched _Moana_.

They were on their sides, laying on the carpet. Alfred was using one of his arms as a pillow and had the other wrapped around Arthur's waist, his nose buried in Arthur's feathery-soft hair. Arthur had cuddled up to Alfred, also using his arm as a pillow, and was nuzzled up to his chest. The blankets they had as they watched the movie were over their bodies, keeping them warm. Outside, light rain poured onto the academy, making a drizzling lullaby.

It was a perfect atmosphere for the two sleepy males.

Which was ruined by a loud knock _(*read pound*)_ on the door.

"Artie open up!" A voice yelled.

The two were startled awake by the knocking. They stared at each other, time seeming to slow down.

Alfred stared into those beautiful green eyes and could count all the freckles on the delicate, pale face located so close to his. His cute button nose and light pink lips were so close, he could brush his lips against them if he wanted. And those eyebrows, Alfred just loved them. Yeah, they were big and bushy, but they just seemed so _Arthur_.

Arthur also looked over Alfred, noticing the way his jawline was so sharp he could cut a man. His nose, long and bold, the nose seen on a king. Eyes so blue the heavens were jealous, Arthur couldn't stop his lingering stare into them. The other had such nicely tanned skin, Arthur was slightly jealous, he only ever gets sunburned. His lips were full and a darker color, but Arthur thought they fit him perfectly. He could feel his breath on him, it was warm.

The knocking started again, and they immediately pulled away.

Arthur had a large blush on his face and Alfred a smaller one. The smaller of the two got up from the floor, almost stepping on his laptop and toppling over as he avoided it, but had still gotten to the door. He opened it and a small noise of shock appeared from the back of his throat. It almost sounded like "Wah?"

Alfred was surprised to hear it. _Did Arthur...talk?_

He didn't get the chance to think it over as a new alpha appeared into the room, Francis trailing behind. "Thank ya, Francis." He said.

The alpha had red hair that was a bit shaggy but not enough to reach his shoulders, and was wearing a red blindfold over his eyes. He had a cane in his left hand and his right one was in the air, almost like he was looking for something. He was wearing a blue jacket and jeans, along with what Alfred always nicknamed pirate boots that were brown and seemed worn but cared for.

"Where'd ya go lad? Help me to yer bed." The alpha seemed annoyed. Arthur stuck his tongue out, which made Alfred chuckle as he got up and grabbed the laptop so it didn't get stepped on.

"No funny business Art." The alpha warned. Arthur took his hand and led him to the bed where the redhead immediately sat down, Arthur sitting on the spot next to him. He motioned towards the desk chair for Francis, and Alfred opted to lean against the wall.

"How ya doin, lad? I know how ya get when it rains." The alpha asked.

Arthur grabbed his hand and signed with it.

' _Okay._ '

"Now how are ya really?" The alpha asked. Arthur gave him a frustrated look. His scent, which no longer had any blockers, was strong with frustration and upset. They were sour in his sweet smell.

"No need to get mad." The alpha raised both hands in surrender, dropping the cane.

Arthur huffed and grabbed the hand, once again signing ' _Okay_ '.

"Ya sure?" The redhead frowned.

Arthur balled the other's hand into a fist, bending it forward at the wrist, and bringing it up again. ' _Yes_ '.

"Alright, just needed to make sure you didn't need to have another trip to Dr. Zwingli." The alpha's eyes were covered, but Alfred could almost see the caring look he'd give Arthur.

"Alister, it's almost 3:00." Francis said, looking down at his watch. Alfred's eyes widened as he looked down at his. It was 2:57. How long were they sleeping?!

He looked over at Arthur, who looked to be thinking the same thing.

"I have a class now. I'll be back later, alright?"

Arthur took his hand and squeezed it.

"Yeah, I will." The redhead nodded and got up, Francis giving them both goodbyes as he helped Alister out of the room.

Alfred looked over at Arthur and cleared his throat. "Was that your brother?"

Arthur nodded.

It was silent, except for the rain. Alfred moved to sit on the bed and Arthur followed suit.

"Are you hungry?" Alfred asked. Arthur shook his head but his stomach growled. Alfred chuckled and Arthur punched his shoulder.

"Alright, alright. You wanna get some food?"

Arthur nodded and they suited up. Arthur grabbed a jacket for the rain and Alfred put on his slightly damp jacket. Arthur found an umbrella in his closet that seemed about big enough for the two of them, so they brought it with them. Outside, Arthur opened the umbrella and after bumping heads with the metal part a third time as they walked, Alfred started holding it and pulled Arthur closer so he didn't get wet.

They made it to the car garage and that's when Arthur freaked out. He started signing rapidly, making grunts and other unintelligible noises. Alfred grabbed both his hands with a laugh.

"Arthur I have the pass, it's fine. I can take you out."

Arthur blinked and sighed in what Alfred hoped was relief. "Now c'mon, let's go get some food."

* * *

Arthur looked out the window as Alfred drove them around the city.

It was nice to see Nancy again, the beta who works the gate. He always waves to her from his window when he and his siblings leave in the summers.

He wasn't like some of the more unfortunate kids. The sad thing about the academy is that it doubles as an orphanage of sorts. There was a large group of kids who are there for either losing their parents in the same accidents that left them impaired...or they were left their by their parents who didn't want to deal with 'broken kids'. He knew one alpha by the name of Lilo, she is 5 and stays in the room next to Arthur's. She was mute like Arthur, who tutors her in sign language and English. She signed to him what she remembered of the day her parents left her at the academy; her beta mother was crying, but her alpha father wasn't. They left her in the arms of one of the academy workers with a backpack that held her important documents. She tried to cry out for them but couldn't do much, only grunt and squeal as they left. Arthur made a small promise to protect her from then on. He would practice omega nurturing skills on her, and even visited her constantly. He hadn't the past few days, but he'd have to ask Alfred if they can see her today.

It would be nice to see one of his 'kids' as he calls them. He has some all over, with different imparities and status. He 'adopts' kids that hate their situation or just need parental figures and fills in that spot for them. One of them is his cousin Jett who was born in Australia. He doesn't go to the academy, but he sees him a lot over the summer. Even though the alpha is three years younger than him, he babies him to no end. It might just be the omega in him, but he loves to baby his cousin (and Jett drinks in his affection like one would drink lemonade in the summer).

He was excited that it was almost Christmas.

* * *

Alfred looked over at Arthur as he stared out the window, a fond scent coming over the omega. ' _What's he thinking about?_ '

"Arthur, where would you like to go to eat?" Alfred asked.

The omega shrugged. Alfred hummed and turned on the radio. His phone was connected via Bluetooth so he turned on some music and to his wonder, ' _I Can't Help Falling In Love_ ' cover by Twenty Øne Pilots played first.

Arthur looked over at Alfred, who was cursing his luck. The omega smiled and turned up the music a bit. They sat there, listening to the music as Alfred drove around, looking for a place to eat.

Suddenly, Alfred drove to the parking lot of a restaurant, finding a spot close to the building and parking. He turned the car off, looking over at Arthur, who was unbuckling his seat belt already. It was still raining.

"You take the umbrella."

Arthur paused and gave him a concerned look.

"I'll be fine."

* * *

 _Haha, I'm leaving it here!_

 _Lilo is Hawaii (I think we all know where I got the name from)_

 _Jett is Australia, I see a lot of people use Jett or Kurt, but I liked Jett more than Kurt_

 _I obviously don't own TØP, because if I did I'd be posting stuff like "Tyler ate my cookie #fucker" and "Josh and I are going to get #revenge on my cookie"_

 _Have a great day everyone!_


	10. Chapter 10: Food and a Kid

_SO I KNOW Y'ALL PROBABLY HATE ME FOR NOT UPDATING IN A LONG TIME BUT IN MY DEFENSE I HAD FINALS AND AP TESTS!_

* * *

 _Author's POV:_

Arthur was waiting for Alfred inside the diner, watching him through the window as the alpha prepared himself to sprint through the rain to the door.

It was amusing. It looked like Alfred was giving himself a pep-talk before hand. Arthur watched as he opened the door, got out, closed it, and sprinted to the diner's door. Once he was under the cover, he locked the car and went inside.

The smaller was covering his mouth to hide his laughter. Alfred was very wet, but not completely drenched.

A beta waitress, who was waiting with Arthur, handed Alfred a towel for his hair. Her name tag said Elizabeta.

"That's some rain." She raised an eyebrow.

"Tell me about it." He said as he gratefully accepted the towel.

"You two look pretty cold. Lets get you some seats close to the heater." She waved for them to follow, holding their menus and utensils as she led them to a two person booth.

They sat across from each other relishing the warmth being blown their way. They were seated next to a window, where they can see clearly into the rainy world.

"Here are your menus. Can I start you off with anything to drink?" Elizabeta asked.

"Can I get a coke please?" Alfred asked. She nodded and turned to Arthur.

"And for you?"

Arthur pointed to the tea. She looked and nodded. "Okay, what type of tea?" Again Arthur pointed. "Chamomile? That comes with milk, is that fine?" She asked. Arthur nodded.

"Alright, I'll be right back with your drinks." She smiled and walked off.

Neither noticed her look back and smile. "So you're finally in the real world, huh?" She mumbled, remembering the way the mute blonde played.

* * *

Despite being close to the heater, Arthur was still cold. He shivered a bit, hoping Alfred didn't notice in case he tried to give him his jacket which the alpha needed more. So he tried to play it off, looking around at the decor instead.

He had seen a lot of American movies based in the 1950's and in those movies there were diner scenes. He felt like he was in one.

The classic shy and nerdy omega (himself) with the leather jacket badboy alpha (Alfred), a forbidden love separated by stereotypes that ends up together in the end despite it.

Arthur wouldn't call himself a sap, but that's exactly what he was.

He looked back at Alfred, who had been staring at him. The two made eye contact and blushed, each looking away. Arthur dared to look back over at him and smile shyly. Alfred smiled back.

"So, uh, what are you thinking of getting?" Alfred asked.

Arthur looked at the menu and hummed, shrugging. Nothing caught his eye yet, though there were some fluffy pancakes he saw be delivered over to an elderly couple when he first entered that looked promising. He looked back up at Alfred and tilted his head.

"Me? Oh the steak looks good. It comes with mashed potatoes and a choice of peas or carrots." Alfred was looking at the menu tentatively. "Peas or carrots?"

Arthur pursed his lips in thought, then smiled and tapped the side of his head. Alfred did the same, tapping his glasses.

"Oh haha, very funny." Alfred huffed. "Just to spite you, I'm going to get peas."

Arthur covered his mouth, giggling.

Alfred stuck his tongue out playfully and Arthur returned the favor. The Brit lifted his menu to hide his face from the American across from him and spotted something to eat. He looked at it and smiled a bit, remembering when he was a child.

Elizabeta came back holding a tray with Alfred's coke and Arthur's tea cup. She set them down and put the tray under her arm, taking out the pad and paper.

"Are you two ready to order?" She smiled.

"You ready Art?" Alfred asked. Arthur set down the menu and nodded.

"Alright. What can I get for you?" She asked him. Arthur pointed at the fish and chips.

"The fish and chips, alright. Do you want tartar sauce with that?"

Arthur nodded. She write it down and turned to Alfred. "And you sir?"

"Can I have the steak with a side of peas?"

"How cooked do you want the steak? And would you like gravy on the mashed potatoes or on the side?"

"On the mashed potatoes. As for the steak, medium well please."

"Alright. I'll be back soon with your orders." She smiled and started walking away but Alfred stopped her.

"Sorry but can I borrow a pen?" Alfred asked. Elizabeta shrugged and handed him one of her pens.

"Here." She walked off again.

Arthur stared at Alfred curiously as he pulled a napkin from the holder and started writing on it. He slid both to Arthur when he finished and Arthur read it.

' _So how are you enjoying our day out? ;)_ '

Arthur smiled.

' _I'm having fun. Thank you for bringing me Alfred._ '

' _It's no prob Arthur. So what's the deal with your bro? Why'd he come see you?_ '

Arthur tapped the pen, thinking about it before answering.

' _I don't have a good relationship with the rain._ '

' _Oh, that sucks. Are you like scared of storms or stuff? If you are, you can count on me to be your hero and help you out! ;D_ '

' _No Alfred, I'm not scared of storms. I just don't like them._ '

' _How come?_ '

Arthur stared at the question. He sighed, and put the cap back on the pen. He shuffled the napkin back over to Alfred and looked out the window.

* * *

Alfred stared at his question, wondering what was wrong with it. _Maybe it has something to do with his accident?_

Alfred grabbed a new napkin and wrote another question.

' _How many siblings do you have?_ '

He slid the napkin over and Arthur looked down at it. He gave a huff, maybe a chuckle, and started writing.

' _Alister, Dylan, Seamus, Connor, Me, Maeve, Peter. I have 6 siblings._ '

' _That's a lot! OoO I only have 2. My younger twin Matt, and my baby brother Michael._ '

' _Is he an alpha?_ '

' _Michael's an alpha, yeah. What about Peter?_ '

' _Yes, he's also an alpha. Maeve and I are the only omegas._ '

' _Same with Matt._ '

' _What's your favorite thing to do when you get home? I mean home-home._ '

' _I take a long ass nap._ '

Arthur laughed, nodding.

' _I like to go to my room and unpack._ '

' _Do you live with your parents still?_ '

' _I do. I'm not exactly being courted by any alphas because of my problem._ '

Alfred frowned.

"Whaaaat? But you're such a great guy! The whole voice thing doesn't matter."

Arthur blushed and waved him off as Elizabeta came by with the food.

She noticed the napkins and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, I need my pen back."

"Oh yeah, here. Thank you."

The two ate in silence, but once in a while one of them would make a silly face to get the other laughing (and choking).

When they finished their food, Elizabeta came around and asked if they wanted dessert. They looked at each other and nodded.

"Dessert sounds great. What kind of dessert do you have?" Alfred asked.

"Well we have ice cream sundaes, brownie-a-la-mode, pie-a-la-mode, cake, pizza cookie, all of which are good. The brownie is the most poplar, and you get to choose what type of ice cream you want to put on top, and any extra toppings are 35 cents extra." She explained.

Arthur lit up when he heard 'brownie', which didn't go unnoticed by the alpha.

"A brownie then." He told the beta. She also noticed Arthur's little Christmas tree moment and nodded, hiding a smile.

"Okay."

She left to get their order and the omega gave Alfred a smile. He signed something to Alfred. He lifted his right hand to his lips, his four fingers touching his lips, then brought them down as if blowing a kiss. Alfred wasn't sure what it meant but he smiled, and blushed. Had they talked about it before? He couldn't remember. Arthur's smile was so distracting.

Elizabeta came back with the dessert and check. "Just pay up in the front counter when you're done." She walked off to help another patron asking for coffee.

The two ate happily and left their table. Alfred left a $12 tip and took the check before Arthur could touch it.

"No way Artie, I invited you, I pay." He said. Arthur gave him an annoyed look.

The moment they got to the counter, Arthur slammed down a $20. Alfred sighed.

"Artie." They stared each other down. Alfred did not look away and neither did Arthur.

"Uh, the total is $36.72." The lady at the counter told them. Alfred put down his own $20.

"Give the change to Elizabeta as a tip." He said, still looking at Arthur.

The lady nodded. "Okay. have a nice day."

The two looked away at the same time, wishing her the same and walking outside.

The rain was just a drizzle now so they didn't run to the car.

The ride back was quiet, the radio playing for back ground music.

Alfred drove back to Arthur's school, humming along to whatever played on the radio. Arthur was quiet and his scent gave away that he was happy, so Alfred tried to keep their mood as such.

When they arrived, there was a new guard stationed. An alpha. He saw Arthur and gave him a wave.

"Hey Arthur, did you have fun on your date?" He asked. Arthur stuck his tongue out at him and the guy laughed.

"Yeah yeah. You're clear to go man." Alfred drove in, snickering.

"Did you have fun on our date, Artie-kins?" Alfred cooed. Arthur smacked him behind the head.

"Ow okay sorry!" Alfred pouted and rubbed the back of his head. "Man, you hit _hard_."

Arthur huffed and they walked to his dorm. Alfred told him random things about his brothers, which Arthur nodded along to. He wasn't really paying attention-Alfred could tell-so he said the randomest shit.

"And the cult leader like cut out the guy's heart and ate it right there. It was so gross because the guy's blood was all over the place and spilling down his arm. The white clothes he was wearing was all red." He said, making up a story of his viewing of a cult killing a dude. Arthur hummed, but his scent didn't give off any worry.

They got to the dorms and Arthur walked past his room to the room next to his.

He knocked politely and waited. Alfred waited with him, curious. An alpha scent hit his nose, and he felt...something. He didn't know. Who was this new alpha? Why was there an alpha in the omega dorms?

Someone opened the door and Arthur crouched down. Alfred looked and saw a little girl. She looked to be 5 or 6, and was gazing at Arthur shyly. Arthur did the salute and she did it back.

* * *

Arthur smiled at Lilo, and she gave a small smile back. He signed 'how' using two modified "c" hands with the thumbs alongside them, touching them at the knuckles and rolling them forward till the palms are up. Afterwards, he pointed at her: 'you'.

' _How are you?_ '

Lilo had her hand opened in the five and touched her thumb to her chest twice, not letting the palm of her hand touch her.

' _Fine._ '

He pointed at her again, then he placed his right index finger against his lips-almost as if he was telling her to shush-with his palm facing left. He moved the finger forward several inches using a quick motion. Arthur kept his eyebrows furrowed.

' _You sure?_ '

Lilo balled her right hand into a fist and bended it a the wrist before bringing it up again.

' _Yes._ '

She looked over at Alfred then back at Arthur.

She pointed at Arthur, her thumb touching her chin, and mouth making an 'o', her pointer wiggled a bit. Then she pointed at Alfred.

' _Who is he?_ '

Arthur gave a breathy chuckle.

He made two c's with his left and right pointer and thumb, the rest of his fingers balled up. He intertwined them twice, once with right on top and again with left.

' _A friend._ '

She nodded then turned over to Alfred. She held her palm out, then moved her hands making the palms face towards each other with the ring on both hands was down on the palm, the middle finger of her right hand tapping her left pointer finger, and finally held both hands up, palms up, and shook them gently.

' _What's your name?_ '

Arthur watched as Alfred stared. "Um..."

Arthur tapped her and she looked back at him.

Arthur pointed at Alfred, then brought his hand next to his head, pointing towards the sky, then flicked with his pointer finger and thumb twice, all whole shaking his head with a small frown.

' _He doesn't understand._ '

Lilo's mouth formed another perfect 'o', then she signed to him. She held up a 'y'-the pinkie and thumb sticking out with the rest on her palm, then she bended her elbow forward and back two times.

' _Oh I see._ '

Arthur smiled at her and pointed at Alfred again, then stuck out his left hand with the palm facing him, and made an 'o' with the pointer and thumb, the rest curled up all the way, and pretended to scribble something. After, he changed his hands so that the pointer finger was the only one sticking out and tapped the top of his right hand onto his left. Finally, he pointed to Lilo.

' _He can write to you._ '

Lilo said yes with her hand vigorously and opened the door more so they could be let in.

* * *

"Can she hear?" Alfred asked. The two of them nodded. "Great."

Alfred sighed in relief and Arthur gave him a sorry look. Alfred waved it off and looked around the room. It was everything you'd expect for a child's room: toys, drawings all over the walls, and he saw a few pictures of her and Arthur at what looks like a kiddy park, but the one on campus. What he found curious was that there were no pictures of her parents or any family members. If anything, all the pictures were of her and Arthur, and there would be more kids in them too. Alfred looked at those the most. In one he saw Arthur and the little girl, the girl on his lap and Arthur hugging her from behind, and they were on a park bench. Both were smiling, and the girl had face paint in the shape of a butterfly on her cheek. (Arthur himself had a heart.) He assumed it was from a trip because they both wore matching t-shirts, and there was a large group of people wearing the same shirts behind them. It looked pretty recent, so it could have been over the summer.

Arthur poked him and motioned over to the girl. Alfred cleared his throat and smiled at her.

"Hello, my name is Alfred. Nice to meet you."

* * *

 _Michael is Molossia. I've seen other fanfics use the micro-nation as a brother and I thought it would be cute to give America and Canada a little brother and make up some nice stories for them. Michael is a fan-made name, not official. I don't think he has one._

 _Lilo, as mentioned before, is Hawaii. Though I don't really have any historical evidence to support England taking care of Hawaii, I just like to think that most of them (the states and all his old colonies) sorta see England as a big brother (well, not America, he made that very clear) and someone you can talk to when you don't know who else to turn to. I just love playing with the idea of big-brother England._

 _When Lilo pointed at Alfred, that was not the sign for 'he'. 'He' has its own sign, I just made her point to Alfred because he was in the vicinity. If he wasn't, she would have used the sign. Technically, she said 'who you', but since she was talking to Arthur, he understood it as 'who that'._

 _And AHHHH! THIS CHAPTER IS SO LONG! PLEASE TELL ME WHAT YOU THINK!_


	11. Chapter 11: Arthur the Mom p1

_No One's POV:_

Alfred enjoyed the time he was spending with Lilo and Arthur.

Both of them were on her bed, and Arthur had the girl on his lap while he was teaching her a new sign; Alfred watching and practiced too.

He was teaching her ' _hungry_ '.

(Alfred was definitely going to use that one in his lifetime.)

Arthur was making a 'c' with his hand-his fingers were curved but not touching the palm-and the fingertips and the palm were facing his chest, with his arm horizontal, going from the top of his chest down to the stomach. Lilo copied him. She practiced it a few more times before Arthur was satisfied.

Lilo smiled and giggled, wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

Arthur hugged her back.

Alfred smiled at them. It was cute watching them. It was like a mom and her baby.

Arthur the Mom, somehow it fit.

"You're good with kids." Alfred commented.

The two looked over at him and Lilo nodded. She made grabby hands at her 'My Little Pony' backpack and Arthur got it for her. She opened it up and pulled out a folder-Monster High, somehow, it didn't surprise him-and she pulled out a piece of paper. Getting a pencil, she wrote something for the fellow alpha in adorable but sloppy handwriting.

' _Artur is te bestest momy evr! 3_ '

Alfred read it out loud and Arthur hid his face in his hands, but what lingered of his scent said he was happy.

Alfred winked at Lilo.

"Oh yeah, I agree with you Lilo. I think he's an awesome Mom."

Arthur opened his fingers to give Alfred a look. One that said 'thank you' and 'how could you'.

Lilo looked at them and smiled. She poked Arthur until he removed his hands from his face and signed something.

* * *

Arthur's eyes widened when he saw what Lilo signed.

She pointed to Arthur and with her hand out in a '5', she tapped the thumb on her chin twice. Then she pointed to Alfred and repeated the sign, but on her forehead instead of her chin.

She called Arthur ' _Mom_ ' and Alfred ' _Dad_ '.

Arthur's face flushed and he shook his head rapidly.

Arthur poked his right shoulder with his right hand pointer finger, then moved it to his left shoulder and poked it again. He made a fist with his right hand, but kept it as if he was giving a thumbs up, and moved the thumb under his chin, then out to her shaking his head. After he did that, he had both his hands in a thumbs up position, the knuckles of both hands touching, and made a circle with his hands.

' _We're not together._ '

Lilo frowned.

She rested her pointer, middle, and ring fingers from her right hand on the side of her head then pulled the hand away, shaping in in the form of the letter 'y', then did the same sign for 'not' as Arthur, thumb under chin then out.

' _Why not?_ '

Arthur rubbed the back of his head, looking over at Alfred. He seemed confused. Arthur bit his lip and grabbed the piece of paper Lilo used and her pencil, turning it over to write on the back.

' _She thinks we're dating. Can you help me explain?_ ' He wrote and gave it to Alfred.

Alfred read it over and nodded.

"Oh. Well you see Lilo..."

* * *

Alfred had never had to do this. He wasn't one to explain what the types were and how they worked. He wasn't the one who explained it to others. Parents were. (Hell, his mom was the one to do it, not his dad!) Alfred is not a parent, he is a 19 year old alpha with little experience with kids...well, there was Michael but Mattie would take care of him more because of the omega instinct but that's not the point! He isn't even done with school! Yeah he was there for a sport scholarship but the school made it clear that wasn't the only reason he could be there. He had to focus on other things, like academics. He had no time for mating with all the work he's piled under, and less to have kids.

Arthur turned Lilo to face Alfred, but she stayed on the Omega's lap. The audience did not make this any easier.

"Well...uh..." Alfred looked at Arthur, and after seeing the pleading look in his eyes, he sighed and straightened up. "There's three signs: Alphas, Betas, and Omegas. I won't go into a lot of detail but Alphas and Omegas mate, and that's when cuties like you appear." He booped her nose and she giggled.

"In order for an Alpha and Omega to mate, the Alpha has to go through different, uh, accomplishments. First things first, choose an Omega, and let the Omega choose you too. The Omega needs to like you back, if not, no dice. Next is, uh, courtship. The Alpha must present gifts to the Omega and they must gain the approval of the Omega too. You can't give them a gift they don't like."

He had a small flashback of the chocolates he gave Arthur that they ate together.

"They need to, basically, date each other. And gain approval from their family! The family of both sides must be fine with the courtship. When all that is said and done; both families have given the okay, and both the Alpha and Omega are comfortable with it, they can mate. See, Arthur and I haven't done that. So we aren't together."

Lilo slowly nodded, then looked at the paper. Alfred handed it to her and she wrote something. After, she handed it back.

' _Wil u?_ '

"Will we what?" Alfred asked. Arthur looked at the paper, equally confused.

She took the paper back and wrote something else.

' _Get togiter wit Arter sily!_ '

 _(Damn, her writing was cute but it needed work.)_

Alfred's face turned cherry red and Arthur hid his face in the child's hair.

"U-Uh, um, well, like I said it takes a lot of things Lilo! And we don't know each other very well! So-So we can't know what the future holds!"

Lilo nodded and yawned. She leaned more against the omega and closed her eyes. Arthur looked at Alfred and motioned for him to move. Alfred got off the bed and Arthur did too, shifting Lilo around to try and undo her bed. Alfred did it for him and Arthur laid the girl down.

They were about to walk out of the room but Arthur stopped. Alfred did too and they looked down at the young girl, who was sitting up and out of her covers. She looked at Arthur, giving him a pleading look.

Arthur sighed and laid her down again, pulling the covers over her. He walked over to a music box on a high shelf and took it down. It was pretty, with a carousel of different colored horses, dressed like they belonged in a circus.

He twisted the key until it couldn't be twisted anymore and put it on the table next to her bed. She smiled and he leaned down, kissed her forehead, and started walking out of the room. The music sounded eerie to Alfred, but he didn't think much of it.

They walked out of the room and over to Arthur's, Arthur taking a final sweep of the room before closing it.

* * *

"That was a pretty music box." Alfred commented.

They had entered Arthur's room already.

Arthur nodded. Something was off with the Omega. His scent was...different. It smelled strong of...of something-it was on the tip of his tongue but he couldn't identify it.

Arthur got a faraway look in his eyes, which worried Alfred. _Was it something he did? Was Arthur okay? Was he thinking about something?_

Alfred's thoughts were cut off by the very same person he was thinking of, who reached into his closet and pulled out a shoe box. He grabbed a cassette tape ("Wow, that thing must be old!" Alfred thought but kept to himself.) and put it into a cassette player that was also in the box. A voice started to sing from the device. A woman was singing. She sang in a beautiful voice a lullaby of sorts.

Alfred listened, watching as Arthur seemed to calm himself down and closed his eyes, sitting on the bed. Alfred took a peek into the box and saw a picture of Arthur and a woman who looked similar to him, but her hair was brown. Both were smiling, and Arthur had the carousel in his arms, the same one from Lilo's room. That can't be a coincidence.

Arthur's scent gave away that he was feeling sad about something, so Alfred moved to sit next to him on the bed. He wrapped an arm around Arthur's shoulders and brought the younger male's nose to the junction where the neck meets the shoulder, the place where he emits the most of his scent. He gave off a soothing and relaxing one to help the omega calm down as the woman continued to sing. Arthur breathed in deeply, letting the pheromones calm him. He kept him there until the song finished.

Arthur pulled away and Alfred looked down at him.

"You okay?"

Arthur nodded, taking the tape out of the player. Alfred looked at the tape and the pictures in the shoe box. Arthur took them out and looked through them.

"Is that you?" Alfred asked. Arthur nodded, leaning against Alfred. Alfred smiled. "You're cute."

Arthur blushed and smacked him. Alfred laughed and they looked back at the pictures.

"Who's that?" Alfred pointed to the lady in the carousel picture.

Arthur stared at her.

"Is that your mom?" Alfred guessed. Arthur nodded.

"Was she the lady that was singing?"

He nodded again.

"She has a very beautiful voice."

Arthur hummed. They sat on the bed and looked at more of the pictures.

There was one of all the kids sitting on the couch, the baby-Peter-was in Alister's lap, Maeve was in Dylan's lap, and Arthur was squished between the twins. They were all smiling, and looked very young.

"How old were you?" Alfred asked.

Arthur held up three fingers on one hand and five on the other.

"Eight?"

Nod.

Alfred smiled. "I'll have to bring some baby pics of me and Matt now since you showed me your huh?"

Arthur smiled back, the sad mood diminishing.

Alfred's phone buzzed and he looked down at it. It was a text from Matthew over a chat app.

* * *

 _Sent 5:43 pm_  
 ** _Pancake God_**  
 _Alfred, where are you? I need your homework_  
 _Read 5:43 pm_

 _Sent 5:43 pm_  
 ** _AlphA_**  
 _I went to visit Artie, what homework do you need_  
 _Read 5:44 pm_

 _Sent 5:44 pm_  
 ** _Pancake God_**  
 _I need the math homework_  
 _Read 5:44 pm_

 _Sent 5:44 pm_  
 ** _AlphA_**  
 _Alright, I'll give it to you l8r_  
 _Read 5:44 pm_

 _Sent 5:45 pm_  
 ** _Pancake God_**  
 _I need it now dumbass, come back immediately, stop snogging your boyfriend_  
 _Read 5:45 pm_

 _Sent 5:45 pm_  
 ** _AlphA_**  
 _omg no, but fine, im on my way, bitch_  
 _Read 5:45 pm_

 _Sent 5:45 pm_  
 ** _Pancake God_**  
 _Jerk ;)_  
 _Read 5:45 pm_

* * *

Alfred sighed and looked over at Arthur.

"I have to go, but I'll come back tomorrow, okay?"

Arthur nodded and smiled.

Alfred gave him a final side hug and got up, leaving Arthur behind in his room.

And his thoughts.


	12. Chapter 12: ATM p2 or Day Care Intro

_No One's POV:_

The next day, the sky was cleared and the practice field was good to work on. Alfred and his team were sent a text to get to the field by 6:30 am for early morning exercise.

When they got there, their coach started giving them instructions, and they were off.

By 8:00 am, they finished their practices and exercises and were free to go since the soccer team had to use the field too.

Antonio and Alfred high-fived each other when they passed, Ludwig gave him a nod, but Berwald remained silent.

The alpha was one of the oldest students in the academy, his age being 29. Mainly because he was working for a Doctorate, but was there with a soccer-scholarship like the others. He was also mated to someone, Tino? Was it Tino? Alfred didn't know. He just knew that the omega was a student at the other academy. The same one Arthur went to. Maybe they know each other?

Alfred shrugged off the thought and went to the on-store-campus. He walked into the candy isle and decided to get Arthur some more chocolates, making sure they didn't have peanuts.

Suddenly, the comment Gilbert made after the second day came into his mind.

' _That omega would kill a man for chocolates!_ '

Alfred smiled and decided to get him a variety.

' _Maybe I can get Mom to send me some from California._ ' He thought to himself as he grabbed six packs off the shelf. There was this candy store only native to southern California and not found anywhere else in the world. Their chocolates were so good though, and they had such a large variety it was usually hard to pick just one.

The fellow student at the counter didn't blink an eye at what he bought and wished him a good day in a monotonous voice. Alfred nodded back, knowing the 'dead-inside' voice very well.

* * *

It was a beautiful day outside.

Alfred watched as the birds flew from one tree to another, singing and chirping happy tunes.

He decided to walk to Arthur's place instead of driving and stayed at a steady pace instead of sprinting to the gates. It was nice, feeling the cool breeze and smelling the flowers. He spotted a wild patch of roses on the forest-y side of the road and his thoughts immediately went to his mother. He loved roses, they were his favorite flowers. Now they're...Camellia Japonica? Something like that.

He passed by them, taking a final glance from the corner of his eye before moving on to look at something else. Mainly the forest that resided next to the academy. It was large and hundreds of years old. He's heard plenty of stories about it: werewolves, serial killers, faeries, even that sirens resided in a hidden lake in the forest and the people who hear them drown. Of course, they were just stories. Alfred had walked inside the forest plenty of times and never seen any of that ridiculous stuff. He always shrugged them off as campfire stories that held no meaning other than 'You're not allowed in there, stay out'.

Eventually, forest turned into a wall, and wall into gate.

The moment Alfred got to the gate, he spotted Arthur further inside, close by to the front garden. He was with someone else. Another alpha.

Alfred frowned at this. Not because he was jealous or anything, Alfred had plenty of omega friends with alpha boy/girlfriends, but it was the way Arthur looked.

He looked uncomfortable, like he wanted to leave the conversation but couldn't.

The alpha had Arthur almost inside a rose bush, with little room for Arthur to move away. He was sorta leaning in and Arthur was leaning back. Arthur was frowning a bit and had made multiple attempts to leave, but the alpha wouldn't let him.

Alfred frowned more when the alpha seemed to lean in for a kiss but Arthur pushed him away.

He took that as his sign to step in so Alfred walked over to them and sorta shoved the other guy away to be in front of Arthur, smiling at him.

"Hey Artie! Thanks for meeting me here like we planned. Sorry I took a long time to get here, I decided to get you a gift."

Arthur was giving him a confused look, but after a wink, Arthur nodded and gave him a pout.

"I know I know, but my gift will make up for it, promise!" Alfred wrapped an arm around the omega's shoulders and gave him an award winning smile. Arthur leaned against him and buried his face in his side, smiling back.

"Ahem." Alfred looked over at the other alpha, who was glaring at him.

"Yeah? What do you want?" Alfred raised an eyebrow at him.

"I was here first buddy. You can find someone else." The other alpha bared his teeth, an old animal instinct alphas still held.

Alfred moved in front of Arthur protectively and gave the alpha another smile. "Buddy, you must have your head on backwards. Artie and I have been together for months, so if anyone should leave, it's you."

He's never been happier about his height than now. Being 6"5', he was half a foot taller than the other guy and could look down at him. And his athletic build made him look bigger too. The other guy scoffed and rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, he's not that cute anyways." He grumbled and walked off. Alfred glared at his retreating back and turned back to Arthur.

"You okay Artie? You seemed kinda spooked. Do you know that guy? Did he do anything?"

Arthur placed his hands on his shoulders and stopped him. Arthur let out a breath and looked up at Alfred, what little of his scent came out spilling relief.

Alfred nodded. "Yeah, no problem."

Arthur hugged Alfred.

* * *

It was scary. Arthur wouldn't lie to himself. The other alpha had him trapped and kept trying to kiss him and touch him in weird places. Arthur didn't let him, always catching his hand and leaning away when he leaned in. He said he was cute, pretty even, and said he would like to mate him. Arthur wanted to leave very desperately, but being up against a thorny rose bush that can snatch your clothing and skin if you moved the wrong way wasn't the best place to escape from.

That's why when Alfred barreled in, he could have leaped into his arms from joy. He didn't immediately catch on to the story, but after the wink, he realized what was going on and played along. The pouting, the nuzzling, all part of the plan. When the other guy tried to get Alfred to leave, Arthur swallowed the lump in his throat. Why was he nervous? Alfred wouldn't leave, he knew that. Maybe it was because he thought they'd start a fight.

He saw a fight between two alphas once when he was younger at a park. It was almost the same situation, but the two alphas liked the same omega and both wanted to mate her. The male alpha killed the female alpha, the alpha who the omega chose, in the fight. Arthur was 5. It was three years before the accident. The fight made him see alpha and omega relationships differently, and he always hoped to the moon it never happened with him in the middle. Now though, now made him remember it. The anger of the male alpha when he smashed the rock against the female alpha's head over and over again, the fear of the omega and her screaming at him to stop. The sounds of an ambulance and screams of other pedestrians as they tried to help. His mother tried to hide him in her arms and lead him and his siblings away. Alister looked like he wanted to help, but his father kept him back and silent. His other brothers looked scared. Maeve, in her stroller, was asleep, and didn't witness the horror Arthur saw.

And the fear he felt when he witnessed something similar in front of him. After Alfred pushed him back to keep him protected, some of the fear vanished. Why? Was it because he felt safer with Alfred? Because the other alpha wouldn't be able to get him from behind Alfred? Whatever the reason, Arthur was grateful for it.

When the other guy left, Alfred looked at Arthur and started to ramble something, but Arthur stopped him. He was just...happy and relieved Alfred got there before anything worse happened. Thankful.

He hugged Alfred, hoping it showed just how thankful he was.

After a bit, he let go and gave a small smile to the other one.

Alfred smiled back. "I wasn't lying about that gift Artie."

He watched as the alpha took off his backpack and pulled out six packs of chocolate. Arthur stared at them.

"None of them have peanuts, I checked. Uh, do you want to head to your room for some more movies?" Alfred asked.

Arthur smiled and shook his head. He pointed to a small building off to the side. There was a rainbow painted on the doors, starting on one and ending on the other. A sun wearing sunglasses and smiling was on the left door, the right had a circle of kids holding hands and smiling.

Alfred looked back at him confused. "Um, what is that place?"

Arthur made Alfred turn around and put the chocolates back into the backpack.

He grabbed Alfred's hand and lead him to the building.

* * *

Alfred really should have expected this. There was a circle of children on the door for the moon's sake! It was so obvious it was a daycare center!

At the moment, Alfred counted 14 kids, one of which was a baby in a crib across the room. They seemed to range from ages 1-11. The majority seemed to be girls, and the rest were boys. He couldn't tell what their signs were since the room seemed to be covered in different scents, from the fake omega scent most likely used to keep the kids calm to the smell of a dirty diaper that had to be changed.

At the sound of a door being opened and closed, some of the kids looked up at them. They gasped and ran over to them.

"ARTHUR!"

Arthur looked like he was bracing himself for impact, but was still taken down by a multitude of children. Arthur started to laugh at the kids on top of him and held his hand out to Alfred. Alfred reached down and took it, helping Arthur up and off the floor. Arthur gave the salute to the kids, and ten of them returned it. Three of them were holding one of the other kids's hand, Alfred noticed. Their eyes weren't looking anywhere in particular. Are they students?

One of the kids hugged his leg and he looked down to see Lilo. He smiled down at her and picked her up.

"Hey Lilo! You been a good girl since the last time I saw you?" He asked playfully. She nodded her head vigorously and shimmied out of Alfred's arms.

The other kids stared at Alfred, awed.

"Who are you?" One child asked. He wasn't looking at Alfred though, his eyes didn't seemed focused on anything.

"My name is Alfred. I'm Arthur's friend. It's nice to meet you all." He smiled. He saw Arthur translate out of the corner of his eye. So some of these kids were deaf huh?

The baby from across the room started to cry and Arthur made his way over to it. A lady came out from the back, saw Arthur, gave him a thumbs up, then left again. Arthur picked up the baby and started to cradle it, humming under his breath. Alfred walked over to him to hear it better and recognized it as the lullaby from the recording.

He smiled at Arthur and turned back to the kids. They were facing him, all staring at him curiously.

Alfred looked back at Arthur, but Arthur was still cradling the baby, so his translator was out.

He looked back at the curious kids when a thought hit him. There was a white board on the wall, and markers. He whistled the same tune Arthur was humming and strutted over to the board, grabbed a marker, and wrote something down so the deaf kids would know what he was saying. He also said what he was writing down for the blind kids, that way they didn't feel left out.

"What are your names? What are your signs? What is your age? Deaf, mute, or blind?" He grabbed a stack of blank printing papers he found on a chair and some markers, then passed them out to the kids that could see. For the ones that couldn't, he wrote it down for them. This way, he can know their names, and whether they can hear or not. The rest were just fun-facts to get to know the kids better.

In the end, he got 14 papers back, one for each child. (Arthur made the one for the baby.)

The list went as such:  
Lilo-A, 5, Mute  
Abdul-O, 7, N/A  
Keiasha-B, 3, Blind  
Victoria-A, 8, Mute  
Roshaun-O, 7, N/A  
Jendayi-O, 9, Deaf  
Alika-A, 6, Deaf  
Naser-B, 8, Blind  
Khin-O, 10, Deaf  
Talia-A, 4, Mute  
Elijah-O, 10, Mute  
Abuya-B, 5, N/A  
Qistina-B, 9, Blind  
Keabetswe-O, 1, N/A

Then, after finding some tape, he taped the papers onto the backs of the kids, that way he could remember them more easily. It wasn't the best tactic, but it worked just as well. Turns out some of the kids there were children of workers and had no disabilities, but they did like to have fun with the kids in the academy. As for the baby, Arthur wrote down that she was found a month before at the front gate in a cardboard box with only a note that said her name. That was all that was the only other thing inside the box. No one knew where she had come from, or what she had. (They did run tests though, and found she was not deaf, mute, or blind. But since the place doubled as an orphanage, they're keeping her until a couple adopts her.)

Arthur had laughed at his method of remembering the children's names and bounced the baby on his knee, Keabetswe gurgling with joy at every drop. Alfred sat next to them on the couch and stared as the kids continued on with their lives as if all was normal. It was like they had been accustomed to everyone around them being different, like they were. He found peace with that, seeing how well they accepted their differences and learning to play and hang out with each other. He almost envied them.

In his lifestyle, everyone was the same. Prim, proper, fresh. Anything outside that was seen as neglecting who you really were, and throwing dirt on your family's name. He should know, he's shown up in jeans to parties multiple times for it to have an affect.

Arthur saw him spacing out and placed the baby on his lap. Alfred stared down at her and she at him, then she cooed and tried to reach for his glasses. Alfred chuckled and sat her down on his lap, not wanting to fully give in to her cuteness and let her destroy his only way to see. (Michael did that once...Alfred needs to buy more contacts.)

The daycare center is fun, and Alfred was glad Arthur brought him along.

* * *

 _I'M BACK! YEET!_

 _SO, THERE WAS A LOT OF KIDS HUH! EACH KID (EXCEPT FOR LILO) IS AN OLD ENGLISH COLONY! HERE'S THE LIST OF KIDS + WHERE THEY REPRESENT!:_

 _(Hawaii) Lilo_

 _(Malaysia) Abdul_

 _(Barbados) Keiasha_

 _(Falkland Islands) Victoria_

 _(Cameroon) Roshaun_

 _(Zimbabwe) Jendayi_

 _(Mauritius) Alika_

 _(Bahrain) Naser_

 _(Burma) Khin_

 _(Nauru) Talia_

 _(Virginia) Elijah_

 _(Kenya) Abuya_

 _(Brunei) Qistina_

 _(Botswana) Keabetswe_

 _I got their names off websites from the countries that ranked the most popular apparently. I'm not 100% sure it was right but yeah. Some places are in the East Indies, Africa, South America, I chose different regions because England basically conquered the world, I'm not going to put just_ one _place he went._

 _That park memory is very, very important later on. ;) Don't forget about it._

 _More characters are coming soon!_

 _Thank you guys for reading and as always, please tell me what you think! Have a great day everyone! ;3_


	13. Chapter 13: Lovino Has No Patience

_OKAY! QUICK MESSAGE BEFORE THIS ONE STARTS! THE EVENTS THAT TAKE PLACE IN THIS CHAPTER ARE AFTER ALFRED LEAVES IN CHAPTER 11! SO ARTHUR IS ALONE IN HIS ROOM RIGHT NOW! THIS IS IMPORTANT INFORMATION TO WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!_

* * *

 _No One's POV:_

Lovino growled as he made his way toward Arthur's room. A few bitches thought it would be nice to spray their scent-blocker or whatever thingy on themselves in the hallway and now he can't smell where he's going. If he trips or goes into one of their rooms on accident it's their damn faults, not Lovino's.

Luckily, the scent of honey that lingered around the other omega was always the strongest out of all the others so he found his door easily. Lovino stood outside, and knocked on the wall.

" _Artù_ , are you here you dick?" Lovino called.

Arthur looked up from where he sat on is bed to the door of his room. It was opened-Alfred must have forgotten to close it in his rush-and Lovino was standing outside. He knocked once on desk next to his bed. _Yes_.

"Good. Help me get in, I might trip."

Arthur got off his bed and went over to the older omega. Lovino gave him a small thanks and walked into the room. Arthur helped him onto the bed and they both laid down together.

"How are you feeling, _Artù_?"

Arthur shrugged, and gave off a confused scent. Lovino remained silent and sighed.

"Feli went on another date with Ludwig today, so I stayed in my room most of the day. My buddy is busy I think."

Arthur hummed and took Lovino's hand in his. They stayed there for a while, simply enjoying each other's company.

They did this a lot.

Lovino would feel lonely without his brother, and Arthur was usually alone. They saw nothing wrong with one going to see the other and they'd just be in the room, lying on the bed, and stay there for hours, not saying anything. Arthur would even put on music to help with any nerves he'd feel.

"Can you talk yet?" Lovino blurted.

Arthur chuckled. He knocked twice on the wall. _No._

Lovino stayed silent. Arthur could talk. He always knew Arthur could talk. He knows why he doesn't talk...but why doesn't he try? What was keeping him back from it?

That's when he smelled it.

Due to his blindness, Lovino's body changed itself as he grew older and finished puberty to accommodate to his blindness. His nose was better at identifying scents, even in a room where scent-blockers were used.

Arthur's anxiety was acting up again. It had a dark smell. Like fresh blood inside a forest. Normally Arthur had a honey and tea smell, with flowers and forest surrounding him. It was a nice, sweet aura, but this? This only came around when Arthur was having an anxiety attack.

Arthur's anxiety attacks weren't like the ones usually portrayed in media: crying and rocking back and forth until the strong alpha has the omega in their arms and calms them down. No, there was more than that. They could be ugly, vomit and nosebleeds, and making a mess in the bathroom. Sometimes Arthur is just quiet. Like, very quiet. Sorta, worryingly quiet? It's hard to know if he's breathing at times when he has an episode. Sometimes it's not even in his scent.

Once, and only once, he had an 'anger attack' that was caused because of his anxiety at age 13. He was yelling. Yelling at himself, at his memories, anything he saw. That was the first time Lovino ever heard him say something. The first time he'd spoken in years apparently. It was scary, it scared Arthur. He doesn't like to mention it.

And right now, Arthur was having another attack. The smell was stronger, but Lovino knew what to do. He's been around Arthur long enough to know how to help him calm down from these things.

Lovino sat up on the bed and sniffed, looking for the door. He managed to get off the bed without tripping over his feet and walk a few steps.

" _Artù_ , come help me."

He heard Arthur's bed groan and the shuffling of clothes against blanket as Arthur got off and to his feet, taking Lovino's hand. His scent was bitter, meaning he was confused.

"Take me to the music room. _Now_."

Arthur slowly dragged him away, the bitter smell still in his scent which made Lovino's nose hurt. (That's what sucked about having a strong nose, sometimes too much of a certain scent will hurt it.)

How could Arthur not know? The anxious scent was so strong it mixed with his confusion. Lovino wanted to scream at him, but he knew it wouldn't make him feel any better so he stayed quiet.

They walked down steps, through doors, and eventually made it to the outside.

Lovino took in a deep breath, locating the gardens. To the left. Another breath. The kitchen was to the right, they're starting to make dinner.

Arthur tugged him a bit. He was slowing down, so he sped up his pace. They got to a building and Arthur opened the door for him.

Lovino sniffed, smelling cinnamon and vanilla. This was the music room.

Arthur squeezed his hand, and pulled his pointer finger. ' _Where?_ '

"Piano."

They walked again.

Whenever Arthur was especially bad, Lovino took him to the piano. The piano helped him focus more on getting the keys correct and trying not to hit the wrong ones. When it's a small attack, Lovino makes Arthur play the guitar. He relaxes and plays different tunes easily. Sometimes, and only sometimes, he thinks he can hear Arthur sing the song he's playing under his breath, making no real noise. It wouldn't surprise him, but these don't happen everyday so he doesn't hear Arthur play much.

Lovino sat down and Arthur sat beside him.

Nothing happened for a few seconds.

"Well? I brought you here for a reason. Play."

The confusion left Arthur's scent.

He played a few notes and stopped. Lovino sighed angrily.

"Like you mean it. I know you're having an attack _Artù_. Now play your stupid heart out, because I know it makes you feel better. Do it." Lovino frowned.

He heard Arthur sigh and start playing a new song. He slammed his hands on the keys after messing up one of the notes and growled.

"Oh you messed up, _stupido_? Try again. You will play until you get the whole song right. Then you will play another, and another, until I say you're done."

Arthur started playing again. Then again. And again. He had to restart the same song five times since he first tried, and on the fifth one, he finally made it through.

Lovino kept his promise, he made Arthur play another song. This song seemed to have had a sad undertone, to show Arthur's feelings. Lovino nodded.

Music was a great therapy. It helped people like Arthur show how he felt without the need of words or gestures. He just needed to play a few keys and suddenly the whole room knew what was churning deep inside this omega's heart.

He started to play his last song. This one finally had Arthur more involved and moving. The anxiety was gone from his scent, and was full of relaxation. Firewood and dusty books. That's just like Arthur.

When he finished, there was clapping coming from behind them.

Lovino sniffed the air, the smell of forest surrounding him. Forest and-sniff-honey. Honey, the official Kirkland scent which surrounded each one of the Kirkland kids. But forest? It was only constant on one.

Dylan.

* * *

Arthur turned around as soon as he heard the clapping and saw one of his older brothers. Dylan.

How ironic that he clapped for Arthur's song when he couldn't hear it. The green-eyed brunet ruffled Arthur's hair and patted Lovino's.

"Get off me Dylan!" Lovino snapped. Dylan removed his hands and smiled.

It always impressed him how Lovino could tell which person was touching him and how Dylan knew what people were saying. Lovino said something about reading scents, but he didn't really understand.

Dylan took a sniff and frowned, looking at Arthur.

He signed ' _You okay?_ ' to him. Arthur nodded, taking Lovino's hand in his again. A small gesture to thank the older omega for his help.

"Your welcome, _stupido_. Now let's go, you're better."

The two omega's stood up and Dylan went between them, wrapping an arm around each. He smiled and kissed Arthur's forehead, and ruffled Lovino's hair again. Dylan was affectionate and always showed it to everyone he could.

Arthur smiled and leaned closer to his brother.

He was grateful for them.

* * *

Lovino sniffed the air. Arthur was happy. Freshly baked cookies and spring flowers, and of course, honey. The omega smiled and let Dylan play with his hair. He knew it was a thank you for taking care of his brother. Lovino may not be a Kirkland, but he was family to them. (He would never admit it aloud, but the same could be said for them.)

Dylan's hand went close to the curl, making Lovino freeze.

"GET OFF ME YOU ALPHA PRAT!"

* * *

 _Hey guys! I hope you all liked my new chapter! It was a bit difficult to write because I personally am not blind nor am I selective/mute, but here it is. I love RomanoxEngland friendships. Two salty midgets ready to make your life a living cup-o-noodles. :)_

 _Oh, yeah, Dylan is Wales. Let me just list the Kirkland sibs: Alister-Scotland, Dylan-Wales, Seamus-Ireland, Connor-North Ireland, Arthur-England, Maeve-OC-Isle of Man, Peter-Sealand_

 _I have some important messages to share over Arthur and Lovino's conditions:_

 _Arthur has anxiety. I, the author, too have anxiety. I sorta based his attacks on mine. (The anger one for example...not my best day.) The 'quiet' thing is one that happens to me a lot, and people don't really notice it? How I want everyone to stop everything with me for the moment and I just want silence? The 'wet' anxiety as I call it (with the crying and back and forth rocking and hard of breathing) is common with me too, and I have had the 'red' anxiety with nosebleeds and vomit too. Sometimes I'm having a quiet episode and I don't notice, someone else points it out to me that I'm being worryingly quiet, so I made Arthur like that too. There is **nothing** wrong with having anxiety, I am well aware of that, it's just hard to live with. I know this, and I also want Arthur to know this._

 _His muteness is also because of his anxiety (he is a selective mute). Arthur will talk one of these days, he will, but it was not in this chapter. He will even talk to Alfred! It's all because of the accident. The accident is complicated and ties into many reasons why Arthur and his family have problems. All will be explained throughout the story._

 _Lovino has ' supersensors'. (I am not joking, they call it that in a few websites I visited.) This is basically when all the other senses are heightened because one sense doesn't work. It's sorta obvious which one he doesn't have. Anyways, because of this, he can smell better than other people. He is sometimes sensitive to smells, but not always the same ones. He might be sensitive to one person's vanilla smell, but not someone else's. Yay omegaverse for making the whole scent thing for me. **IMPORTANT SCENT NOTE: NOT EVERYONE SMELLS THE SAME SCENT ON THE SAME PERSON, WHICH IS WHY LOVINO NOTICES DIFFERENT SCENTS ON ARTHUR COMPARED TO ALFRED.**_

 _I did research. Yes, Music and Art are great therapy components for people who don't open up easily or don't talk. I've used Art therapy myself, it's nice and relaxing for me. Since I've always loved musical Arthur, and he has anxiety, I feel it would be a good character plot for him. His musical curve will come up again later._

 _Artù is Arthur in Italian. Stupido is stupid in Italian._

 _This is the first song Arthur played:  
/watch?v=6rgSpmPtPh0  
I would think that its intro is difficult for people who are distracted, so I find it a good choice to be Arthur's first one. One to get him focused on not messing up._

 _This is the second one he plays:  
/watch?v=kG9KSWYg-Jc  
I find it to have a sorta sad melody so it describes how Arthur is feeling, melancholy and remembering his past._

 _Last song he plays:  
/watch?v=fnqb8zqHqdY  
It is not mine. The song goes to its owner. I just said Arthur wrote it because I think he'd want to write a song for himself, to tell himself he's sad he lost someone, hence the name, but because he lost them, it doesn't mean he will forget them._

 _That's all for notes! Thank you guys!_


	14. Chapter 14: Daycares and Nightmares

_We're back to the end of chapter 12! These are the events that follow!_

* * *

 _No One's POV:_

One of the kids hadn't eaten yet. She was refusing to eat. Alfred was getting frustrated. Why are kids so hard to deal with?!

"Victoria! You can't play if you don't finish eating." Alfred tried to threaten her, but she just shrugged and pushed the plate away. She hadn't eaten a bite.

He sighed and looked over at Arthur, who was finishing feeding Keabetswe-he should just call her Kia, it would be easier-her food. Arthur looked over at him and he motioned to Victoria. Arthur nodded and handed the spoon to the woman who had popped her head in before. Alfred learned her name was Maria.

She's an alpha, age 21, and was born in Venezuela. She had also been born with vitiligo-basically there were different blotches of skin that had different colors. Her natural color seemed to be tan, but there were very pale patches on her face and body. Apparently, her parents didn't like the criticism of having a 'different' child and had left her at the academy when she was 7. Her parents thought no one would want to mate their children with her. (Jokes on them apparently because she was mated to a lovely deaf omega named Catalina from Colombia.)

Something that really _really_ surprised Alfred was that she had NSD, or No Scent Disorder stage 1. It basically means that she can't smell scents or _anything_ really, but she did have a scent of her own. It was very dangerous because that meant she couldn't tell the difference between a beta, omega, or alpha unless she saw their marks, and that could have gotten her into a lot of trouble. Luckily, the academy provides universal health care for all the residents-as done by the government-and she is being treated. It apparently helped her a lot because she can sorta smell now, and tell the difference between signs, but nothing beyond that. She told him she hopes to smell a rose one day before she dies.

Arthur sitting next to him pulled him out of his thoughts.

The omega looked at Victoria with a raised eyebrow. She pouted at him and pulled her plate back, and started to eat her mashed potatoes and pizza. Arthur nodded and was about to get up, but Alfred held him down.

"Whoa Artie, not so fast. You haven't eaten yet." Alfred said. Arthur shrugged. He shook his head then made the sign for hungry, creating a 'c' with his hand-his fingers were curved but not touching the palm-and the fingertips and the palm were facing his chest, with his arm horizontal, going from the top of his chest down to the stomach.

' _Not hungry._ '

Alfred sniffed his scent. There was a beach smell in it. He didn't know what it meant, but he guessed Arthur was lying.

"No way, dude. You need to eat. Now go and grab some pizza." Alfred pointed at the boxes off to the side of the table where the alpha kids were getting more slices. As alphas, they had a tendency to eat more, which really confused Alfred as to why Victoria wasn't eating. Was she sick or something?

Alfred sniffed her scent but didn't smell anything that was usually related to sickness.

Arthur had sighed next to him and removed his arm, getting up and walking over to the boxes of food with a paper plate.

The school was usually donated food from local restaurants and fast food places on weekends, and since it was Sunday, they were full of restaurant food. (Alfred found that so cool.)

Arthur, as was told, grabbed a slice of pizza. He held it up for Alfred to see, making a small show out of it moving the plate back and forth careful to to drop it, then picked up the slice again with his other hand and bit into it.

Alfred gave him a thumbs up and decided to get a few slices himself.

The kids who were done were running around, playing and having fun. Victoria had finished her food and had joined the others in their activities. The three oldest people in the room watched them and talked. Maria was kind enough to translate what Arthur was saying for Alfred, and Alfred expressed his emotions verbally so she knew what he was thinking without the need for scents. After some time passed, Maria looked at her watch and sighed.

"I have to go to a class soon. Will you be fine putting the kids down for a nap?" She looked over at Arthur, who nodded. He pointed over to Alfred, who looked up from his 5th slice of pizza. Maria chuckled. "Okay, don't do anything you two." She winked at Arthur, who blushed and glared at her.

* * *

Arthur was feeling very embarrassed. Honestly, Maria was acting as if he was going to shag Alfred after the children were asleep. They haven't even known each other for that long! He hasn't got any feelings for the alpha! He's just a friend. Alfred obviously must feel the same way if he's been putting up with Arthur this whole time.

Maria walked towards the door with her backpack on, waved goodbye to everyone, and left.

Arthur hummed and looked at the time. 12:25. The kids should be going to nap soon. He stood up and clapped his hands. A few stopped playing to look at him, then the rest did too.

Arthur started to sign sleep: starting with his fingers extended and spread apart, he kept his hand over his face, moving his fingers down to end with his hand below his chin and with his fingers touching his thumb. As he made the sign, he had his face relax and closed his eyes to add to the sleepy effect. This signaled them that it was nap time.

"Nap time! Everybody get your partner and find a mat to sleep on!" Abdul said and signed at the same time. they paired up in twos, Keabetswe and Keiasha being paired together since they were the youngest-ages 1 and 3 respectfully.

7 groups of two were left on the mats on the floor, each child yawning and getting sleepy. Arthur looked them over and caught the gaze of Lilo. She left the mat and her buddy-Talia-to rummage through her backpack and pull out the musical carousel. Arthur twisted the knob and put it up on the counter, the music flowing through the room and into the dreams of the sleeping children.

Arthur waved Alfred over and they walked to the back room, made for employees. Since no one really worked there, just different students, it was more of a lounge room. There was a large sofa, a microwave, a fridge, a large tv (with cable!) and even a bed in the corner.

Arthur found himself yawning and looked at the bed, wondering if he should do it or not.

' _Fuck it I'm tired._ ' He thought and marched over to the bed, threw himself onto it, and closed his eyes.

"Artie no fair! Scoot over." Alfred pouted.

Despite everything inside him telling him not to-the bed was really nice, _should_ he share it with someone else?-he shuffled away from the middle and let Alfred plop onto it next to him. Arthur turned onto his side and yawned, closing his eyes and trying to nap.

* * *

Alfred looked at Arthur's back, staring at it and wondering if it was a good idea. He'd shared a bed before with the omega, but they were both awake and were aware of what they were doing. Anything can happen while they sleep.

' _Fuck it_.' Alfred shrugged and closed his eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep.

After a while, a new force dragged the alpha awake, and apparently Arthur too.

Alfred yawned and blinked awake, once again finding himself curled up with the omega. Arthur had buried his face in Alfred's neck, and his hands were both between their chests, being the only thing keeping them from bumping together. Alfred had an arm wrapped around Arthur's waist and held him close, but something-or someone-was wriggling in between them.

Arthur lifted his head to look at Alfred, confused and still looking tired. Alfred removed his arm and shimmied away, Arthur doing the same to let the thing get between them. Alfred looked down and saw one of the kids.

Abdul.

The young omega crawled until he was between them. Arthur looked very confused.

"I had a bad dream, and when I do I usually crawl into my mommy and daddy's bed. Can I stay here?" He asked.

Arthur looked at Alfred, who nodded, then back to Abdul and gave him a reassuring smile. He kissed the other omega's forehead and wrapped an arm around his waist. Alfred smiled slightly and ruffled his hair.

"You'll be safe here kiddo."

Abdul smiled and buried his face in Arthur's neck, most likely for his comforting scent.

Alfred looked at them and couldn't help but smile.

' _So,_ ' he hummed as he scooted closer to sandwich the shaken boy between himself and Arthur. ' _this is what it would be like to be a father._ '

* * *

 _New chapter is done! Yay!_

 _New Characters:  
Maria-Venezuela-A  
Catalina-Colombia-O_

 _Vitiligo is an actual skin condition where parts of the body have a different pigmentation than the rest. I don't know if it relates to any skin cancers and I also am not sure if it's treatable, sorry._

 _In my fanfic, I have created 3 different stages of NSD or No Scent Disorder. Maria has Stage 1, which is the inability to smell scents even if you're an alpha or omega. Stage 2, which will be introduced later, is when an alpha or omega has no scent. Stage 3 is when the first two stages combine and affect and alpha or omega. The reason I say specifically alpha or omega is because betas cannot smell scents and have no scents of their own. I did base Stage 1 on an actual disease that can happen to humans. It is treatable._

 _Other diseases and disorders will be touched on later on in the book, and I will do as much research as I can for each. I may even put in personal stories of mine for certain ones. Please note I am not nor have I ever been trying to offend anyone with these disabilities and disorders in my book, and I am sorry if I have ever made it seem that way._

 _Also guess who has summer school...ME! I hope this explains why it takes me so long to update._


	15. Chapter 15: Fuck He's Kinda Hot

_No One's POV:_

Alfred woke up a while after the nap. Arthur was still asleep, and Abdul was too. He quietly crept out of the bed and walked into the main room to check on the other kids. They were all still asleep too. He let out a breath and checked the time. They've been asleep for almost an hour.

Should they be woken up? How would he be able to wake them up? Some of them were deaf...

Alfred looked up when he saw Arthur come out from the hallway. He rubbed his tired eyes and yawned. His hair was sorta messy and his shirt was wrinkled. Alfred couldn't help it, he was cute.

"Morning Princess, enjoy your beauty sleep?" He cooed quietly, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. Arthur hummed and brushed him off. Alfred snickered and watched him walk over to Kia and pick her up from the floor to place her in her crib.

Abdul came out from the hallway, looking refreshed and ready to play some more. He walked over to the kids on the floor and started shaking them.

"Hey! Wake up! Nap time is over!" He yelled at the kids. Alfred checked Kia, but she was still sleeping. He let out a breath and watched Arthur pick up Keiasha. She was one of the blind kids and was only 3 years old. (She was born blind.) She was the second youngest out of all the kids.

"Artur, what are we go-wing to play today?" She asked. Since she was little, her pronunciation of words was still off, but close enough to understand what she was going to say.

Arthur hummed and shrugged. She felt the shrug, having placed both of her hands on his shoulders beforehand, and pouted.

"I wanna go to da wa-ta!" She cheered. The other kids started to yell about wanting to go to the water too.

The water was what they called the pool, but since they weren't prepared for a pool day, Arthur had to say no.

' _Sorry._ ' He had signed to the kids. He gave a gloomy look as he made the letter 'a' with his right hand, then rotated his hand on his chest in a clockwise motion. They nodded solemnly.

(Alfred was confused since he didn't know that sign but shrugged it off.) The alpha looked around the room and saw some paint bottles and brushes. He smiled and walked over to the equipment, taking the box out of its hole in the wall and setting it on the table. Arthur looked at him confused.

"You don't need to see or hear to paint, you just do what you want with it." He grabbed a brush, opened the red, and started painting his hand. He grabbed a paper from the notebook inside the box and stamped his hand on it. After a few seconds, he peeled off the paper to show his hand. "Imma draw a turkey." He smiled childishly. Arthur couldn't help but smile back.

* * *

They had been going at it for a while. Each child, whether they could see, hear, or not, was having fun with the paint. Arthur loved watching the blind kids dip their brushes into random colors and gliding them across their canvases. They didn't care about the color they chose or the style of their brush, they just liked the noise the brush made when it hit the paper and moved around-or, at least that's what Naser has said. He was an optimistic boy and liked to see the good in things. Arthur was very fond of him-well, all of them really-and ruffled his hair a bit when he told Arthur what he was doing.

He just smiled at the kids as they did different projects. Even Alfred seemed to be letting out a creative spirit. Arthur kept to music more than art, but he did draw a small sketch of a bird after many complaints from Alfred who told him he wasn't doing anything.

Keabetswe was patting a paper with paint covered hands and gurgled in Arthur's lap, as he made sure she didn't accidentally digest any of the paint coating her sticky fingers. She seemed to be having the time of her life, and kept repeating the word "Pat pat pat" over and over again. Arthur was just happy that wasn't her first words. He was actually a witness to her first word in the academy when she called _him_ of all people "Mama". He was very touched and has kept her closer ever since. The front was happy to see him engaging and bonding with her. Children needed to bond with parent figures and Arthur helped fill that mold perfectly for some kids in the academy. He wasn't the only one to do it, obviously. There was other groups of kids who came into the daycare and had their own omega figure taking care of them, but Arthur cared about his kids. Alfred smiled at Kia and did peek-a-boo with there while she sat on Arthur's lap. Kia squealed and clapped. Arthur smiled.

But all good things come to an end.

They didn't take to account that Kia would reach for Alfred, or that her hands were still covered with paint. Long story short, Alfred's shirt had a paint masterpiece of its own.

They both stared at the tiny hand prints that colored Alfred's shirt. Arthur shrunk slightly. He looked up at Alfred, expecting him to get mad. Alfred surprised him and instead sighed in relief. "I'm so glad this shirt is old. Thanks Kia, I've been looking for a reason to get rid of it. You're such a helpful baby." Alfred cooed at her and pinched her cheeks. Kia cooed back and made grabby hands at him. "You'll need to wash your hands first if you want me to carry you." Alfred tickled her stomach and moved back. He reached behind his neck and tugged at the collar of his shirt, successfully taking it off without knocking off his glasses.

Arthur could only stare.

* * *

' _Fuck, he's kinda hot!_ ' Arthur groaned at the back of his mind. He knew Alfred had muscle but he was shaped like a god! This wasn't fair!

Arthur could only glare at him. "What?!" Alfred pouted. Arthur sighed and stood up, taking Kia with her to wash her hands. After they were washed, he set the little girl in Alfred's lap and let him suffer-I mean enjoy his time with a baby that was constantly trying to take his glasses and break-I MEAN look through them.

Arthur walked over to where the other kids were and checked on their pieces. Lilo looked up at him and brightened up. She waved him over so he went to see what she had.

He sat on the floor next to her and she held up her painting.

It was one of her, Arthur, and-surprisingly-Alfred. They seemed to be at a park. The sun was on the corner and a tree all the way to the left. They were standing on green grass. Alfred and Arthur were on either side of her, holding one off her hands. Alfred had blue dots for eyes, and she even drew on glasses. Arthur had green dots for eyes, and Lilo had brown. She even drew on some clothes and shoes. On the bottom right-hand corner, she signed her name:

 _Lilo_

Arthur stared at the painting as his chest fluttered. Lilo really did see him as a mom. The thought made him happy and broke his heart at the same time. Someone will adopt her one day...what would she do when she parts from Arthur? It's not like he can go visit her...

A presence came up behind Arthur and looked at the painting.

"Wow, I look great! It's like looking into a mirror. Is that you Artie? She got you good! Wow Lilo, you look so cute!" Alfred smiled and hugged Arthur close to his chest so he could look over his shoulder. Arthur kept his blush down and saw Kia start crawling towards the door. He lept out of Alfred's arms and picked the baby up before she made it to the metal, breathing a sigh of relief.

He walked back over to Lilo, who held out the painting to him. Arthur smiled and took it, bouncing Kia on his leg to distract her from the gift.

They were there for hours, and slowly, the kids whose parents worked at the academy left. When the last one was gone, one of the head staff walked in to take all the kids to their rooms. "Thank you for your help, Arthur. Same time next week?" She asked and held out his pay.

Arthur smiled and nodded, taking the money and pocketing it.

"Great. Have a great rest of the day." She patted his head and walked out of the room, giving Alfred a doubletake. "Oh and uh, make sure your friend has a shirt next time he visits please." Arthur snickered and nodded. The kids waved goodbye to Arthur and Alfred. They waved back, sad to see them go.

When they were out of sight, Arthur looked back over to Alfred and pointed at his backpack. The alpha went to grab it as Arthur got his gift from Lilo. It was only 5. Alfred was still shirtless. And they were hungry.

* * *

Eating cold, leftover pizza while shirtless was not how Alfred imagined he'd spend the rest of his day with Arthur, but there were, sitting on the floor of Arthur's room, leftover and cold pizza from the daycare warming in their mouths.

Alfred had pulled out his laptop and they watched a movie as they ate. It was silent, save for chewing and random explosions. They were watching the first Guardians of the Galaxy, and were nearing the part where the dance off came. Alfred loved that part, but he didn't know if Arthur did. He noticed when Arthur's eyes practically bulged at the sight of a shirtless Chris Pratt when they were entering the jail, so he must have a thing for good looking, muscular men.

' _HEY THAT'S ME! :D_ ' Alfred's mind immediately said.

He'll admit it, he does find Arthur attractive, but does Arthur? Hell, if he thinks about it more, he has sorta been courting him. He's practically in the gift giving stage with all the chocolates he's been buying.

 _Would Arthur like him in that way?_

* * *

 _Haha oh Alfred if only you knew..._

 _Thanks for reading guys! I still have summer school, and am going on an out-of-country trip later in July, so please expect a delay. I will try to update the next chapter before I leave, but we'll have to see._

 _I obvs don't own Guardians of the Galaxy, because if I did, I'd own Marvel, and I wOULDN'T BREAK HEARTS LIKE THIS WTF INFINITY WAR! Excuse my rant, I'm still not over that. ^w^'_

 _Have a great day everyone! :D_


	16. Chapter 16: Music and Pick Up Lines

_Some of our favorite characters who I've been neglecting are coming back ;)_

* * *

 _No One's POV:_

Alfred woke up on his bed, yelping and falling out of it.

Why, you may ask? Simple.

Matthew barged into his room and blared an air horn.

Alfred, now on the floor, lifted his hand and showed a certain hand gesture anyone of any language knows.

"Fuck you Matt."

"Love you too Alfred. Now get up."

* * *

Arthur woke up to someone jumping on top of him. He groaned and tried to shake them off, already knowing who it was.

"Oh big brother! Wake up lazy head!" Maeve yelled into his ear. He pushed her off and she fell to the floor.

"Ouch! Bitch." She groaned.

Arthur rolled his eyes. She's only 16 and yet she insists on cussing anyone's ear off. He huffed and helped her off the floor. She thanked him and hugged him. "C'mon get dressed! We have to get everyone else for breakfast. It's waffle day!"

* * *

The morning was boring for both Alfred and Arthur. They ate breakfast, went to their classes, and thought about what they'd do once they saw the other.

Alfred thought of getting Arthur more chocolates, but it was quickly replaced with what he told Lilo about courting. He tried to push the thought away all day but it kept coming back. He frowned as he looked down at his History paper and began to write.

' _Industrialization in England began in the 18th century, which created many useful appliances we use today. One such appliance was the steam engine used on trains, invented by James Watt. The invention of the steam engine led to-_ '

 _Arthur smiled at Alfred, holding Kia in one arm and Lilo's hand with the other. The kids surrounded him. They were all smiling._

His pencil broke. Alfred stared at it and sighed, raising his hand. It was a test, he can't just get up. Mrs. Schomaker, his history teacher, handed him a new one and walked back to her desk.

Alfred finished the essay and turned it in at the front. He watched all the other classmates around him, some still writing and others going on their phones or computers. He decided to get his computer out and e-mail his mom.

* * *

 _From: AlphA onlinemail_ _.com_

 _To: TJones CompanyHere. com_

 _Subject: Chocolates  
_ _  
Sent 08:57 am_

 _Hey Mom! I was wondering if you could send me some chocolates from that store in SoCal that you can't find anywhere else in the world please? I told a friend of mine about them and he wants to try them. No peanuts! He's allergic. Maybe those Brown Sugar chocolates? Those are good. Please? My friend is a chocolate lover and I know he'd like them a lot!_

 _I hope you and Dad are doing good! If there's anything you guys need help with let me know, I'm pretty much an expert now thanks to my classes. Tell Michael I said hi!_

 _-Alfred_

* * *

After he sent it, the bell rang. A few people who were still writing went rigid, but Mrs. Schomaker told them they could finish after school. Alfred packed up his things and left, giving a small nod to his teacher as he left.

He had free period and then the rest of the day off, so he decided to just get ready to go to Arthur's school.

Alfred just took off his shirt when someone knocked on his door. He decided to see who it was first and opened the door, and his jaw dropped when he saw who was on the other side.

"Artie?! Dude! What are you doing here?" Alfred asked.

Arthur. He was outside his door. Wow, usually it was the other way around. Arthur just stared at him for a few seconds before turning around. Alfred was confused until he remembered he was still shirtless and went to put on a new one. When Alfred said it was safe, Arthur turned back to him.

"Uh come in. My room isn't much but it's you know." Alfred smiled. Arthur smiled back and stepped in. He looked around, and looked at everything.

* * *

Arthur didn't know what to expect when Alister told him they were going to Francis's (and Alfred's) academy.

"The director said we were going as a trip." He said. Arthur felt excitement in his chest build up. He was going to see Alfred this time! What an adventure. "Your kids are staying here because a few people are coming to see who they want to adopt." And just like that, Arthur felt the excitement leave him, being replaced by sadness. Alister pulled him close. "C'mon _bràthair_ , it'll be fine. I know you care for them, but they need to find families too. We can only provide them so much here."

Arthur nodded. ' _They need homes, and real families. I am not their mother._ '

They loaded into buses and cars, or walked, to the academy. No child under 13 was aboard any vehicle nor walking. Most 13 year olds were already adopted or had families. The ones who didn't were under special privilege to go by the school if they wanted to.

After the bus ride, and someone telling him where the alpha dorms were, he made his way to where Alfred's room would be. On the way, be bumped into Ludwig. Ludwig told him where Alfred's room was, and that's how he got into his current situation.

Alfred's room wasn't messy, but it wasn't clean. There was some clothes on the floor by the bathroom and his desk was covered in books and papers, but everything else seemed nice. The bed was even made. The covers were Marvel, which Arthur giggled at. Alfred jumped onto the bed to try and cover them, giving him a smile.

"So uh, what are you doing here?" Alfred asked.

Arthur looked around the room and found a notebook. He pointed at it and Alfred looked over."Oh yeah I don't use that one, you can use it." Alfred nodded. Arthur walked over to it and opened the cover. He was surprised to see the napkins from the diner taped inside. Each napkin took a different page. He looked back at Alfred, but Alfred had started going through his closet for a shirt. Arthur went back to the napkins and smiled (he saved their noted from all their interactions in a drawer in his room too, so he thought the gesture was nice), flipping to an unused page and grabbed a green pen from the desk and started to write.

' _I'm here on a school trip._ ' He put out a new pen for Alfred (blue ink!) and left the book on the bed. Alfred read his note and nodded.

"Cool-OH I mean..."Alfred got the pen and wrote something, handing it back to Arthur.

' _Cool! :D'_

Arthur smiled.

' _Where is Matthew?_ '

' _I think he's with Gilbert. omg Matt was so rude this morning_ '

' _What did he do?_ '

' _He blew an air horn to wake me up and I fell out of my bed_.'

Arthur started laughing at that. Alfred pouted. "It wasn't that funny!"

"Ye-" Arthur caught himself and stopped laughing. He reached up to his lips and grazed them. He felt horrified. Oh God, _what had he done?_ He almost spoke, and to Alfred of all people. It's not that he didn't like Alfred, Alfred was a great guy and Arthur did find himself attracted to him, but it was the fact that it was Alfred and not one of his family members that he almost spoke to that scared him.

' _What is wrong with me?!_ ' He thought.

Alfred stared at him and gave him a small frown. "Arthur, you don't have to do anything you're not comfortable with. It's okay."

Arthur gave a shuddered breath and nodded as Alfred wrapped an arm around him.

He hadn't spoken out loud since he was 13, and he isn't very fond of that day. His throat felt so raw since it had been years since the last time he spoke, and his eyes stung with the tears that never fell the day of the accident. He does speak sometimes, to himself when he's alone at night, trying to find comfort in a new voice he can't recognize. Once, and just once, he sang half of the lullaby his mother sang to him, but he got too chocked up to finish. Remembering it only made him bury his face in Alfred's neck and breath in his scent. It wasn't enough.

Arthur pulled out his phone and started to text someone.

' _Tell Lovino to ask Antonio to take him to the main music room here._ '

' _Why?_ '

' _Emergency._ '

' _Got it!_ '

Arthur grabbed the notebook and started scribbling something to Alfred.

' _Do you have a music room here?_ '

Alfred looked at it and nodded. "Yeah, it's really big, the only one on campus. Why?"

Arthur grabbed the notebook and started writing. ' _My friend wants to meet up there._ ' Not a complete lie but he doesn't want to tell Alfred the truth.

"Alright then, let's go."

* * *

Arthur could have cried in relief as soon as he saw Lovino waiting with Antonio in front of the building. Others were there too: his brothers and their buddies, other friends like Gilbert,Ludwig, and Feliciano, AND KIKU!, Maeve too, talking to a really tall guy. Arthur went straight to Lovino and tugged him inside. The doors were wide open, which was strange since the room was empty. Perhaps a class just finished. He tugged Lovino's pointer finger and waited. Lovino sniffed him and nodded.

"Piano."

Arthur practically dragged the other omega to a piano. (There was three!) They sat and Arthur waited for the amount of songs. "...One."

 _One?_ Arthur looked at Lovino, but nodded. He trusts Lovino.

Arthur took a deep breath and went through his brain, thinking of what song to play. He saw some old music sheets on the head and saw Beethoven, and smiled. Lovino had a favorite Beethoven song...it was 6 minutes long but he felt he needed that much time, so he began to play. There was no need for sheet music, this wasn't the song he was going to play.

And so, Arthur played his little heart out. It was a complicated song, with many ups and down, and no one was sure when they'd go up and down if they didn't know the song. He felt Lovino shift slightly when he played, and smiled a bit. When he ended, he looked at Lovino, and waited. Lovino sniffed him.

"You're good."

They both stood up and when Arthur turned back, he was surprised at the large crowd. Well yeah, he knew Alfred and Antonio would follow being the buddies and all, but everyone else?!

"Beethoven?" They all looked over at Maeve. "Really? You chose Beethoven Sonata #14 "Moonlight" Movement 3 over Tchaikovsky 1st Piano Concerto, 1st movement? You chose Lovi's and not mine?" She pouted. Arthur rolled his eyes.

"Your song is like twenty minutes long and needs an orchestra, stop whining." Lovino scoffed. Maeve slowly nodded.

"Yeah, okay you have a good point." She nodded.

Arthur simply stood there, not sure what to do. It's not like he could say anything-well he could but that's what got them into this mess in the first place!-so he just...stayed there.

"You're very talented." Matthew gawked. Arthur nodded in thanks. Dylan stared at him carefully, and Arthur caught his eye. They smiled at each other. The twins exchanged looks and eventually Connor gave Seamus some money.

"Can you play other things?" Francis asked.

"Oh yeah, our wee Artie can play a whole bunch o' stuff. He's a musical prodigy, and was pretty good at singing too." Alister nodded, and Arthur silently crept up next to him and smacked him, ducking out of the way of Alister's punch.

Alfred blinked at the last statement, not sure if he believed it or not. Maybe he was talking about before the accident (whatever that was). He walked up behind Arthur and wrapped an arm around his shoulders (ignoring the glares of his obviously protective brothers that seemed to be older than him), smiling at the crowd.

"Why don't we head to the loft of the building? That way we all have a place to sit." Alfred suggested, Arthur translating next to him. And so, everyone went to the loft.

* * *

Alfred started laughing at a joke Gilbert told. Arthur, though he face palmed, translated the joke so the rest would know what Gilbert said. They laughed too.

"Oh hey I have an idea!" Matthias suddenly shouted, making the non-deaf people jump. The alpha Dane always did have a weird way to remind everyone of his presence. Matthias was partnered with Lukas, a Norwegian omega who was mute, and the person he was dating. (Unlike Arthur, he was born mute, he wasn't a selective mute.)

"What is it?" Ivan asked. A Russian alpha, who was tall and scary looking, but actually very childish. He was paired up with Yao, a Chinese omega that was blind. Arthur and Yao have rooms next to each other, actually. They communicate often, much like how Arthur does with Lovino.

"Why don't we say our best pick up lines?" He suggested. Immediately, every alpha seemed to grow confident. Betas and Omegas alike shared looks. When Arthur looked around the room, he saw the waitress from the diner, Elizabeta. She caught him staring and smiled. He saw the male beta next to her and recognized him as Roderich, a deaf man who plays the piano. Arthur had always admired him from afar as the beta reminded him of Beethoven, the worlds greatest omega composer.

Arthur smiled, seeing their intertwined hands. ' _They're together, how cute._ '

"OH OH! I HAVE A GOOD ONE!" Gilbert yelled. "Where's Mattie?"

Matthew blushed slightly and poked his shoulder. Gilbert turned his head and smiled, taking a sniff. "Mattie! Great! Are you a banana? Because I find you a-peeling!"

No one reacted and Gilbert pouted. "It was good you assholes." Matt patted him lightly

"Sure, eh. It was good..."

"You're too nice Matt. This is a good pick up line!" Matthias smiled and looked at Lukas. "Lukas, I value my breath, so it would be nice if you didn't take it away every time you walked by." Lukas stared at him and sighed, grabbing his boyfriend's arm and wrapping it around himself.

"No fair! You're dating!" Alister scoffed. "This is a good pick up line." He turned to Francis by sniffing him out and cleared his throat. "Francis, yer hand looks heavy, let me hold it for you."

"DOESN'T WORK WHEN YOU CAN'T SEE!" Lovino shouted at him, snickering. Arthur high fived him.

"Go fuck yerself!" Alister shouted back.

"Lovi, I have one too!" Antonio smiled. Lovino raised an eyebrow and waited. " _Como que no somos novios? Si ayer me dijiste hola!_ "

"...Literally only a few people in this room understood you." Alfred said. Antonio sighed.

"Okay, one in English then. Can I have your picture so I can show Santa what I want for Christmas?"

"Oh, a Christmas joke with Christmas on the way, good one." Lovino nodded slowly.

"I have one too!" Alfred waved enthusiastically. Everyone watched as he turned to Arthur and smiled. Arthur waited. "Hey Artie, on a scale of 1-America, how free are you tonight?" He smiled. Arthur smirked and signed something. Ludwig saw and shook his head.

"Really?" He asked. Arthur smiled and shrugged.

"What? What did he say?" Alfred asked.

"He said '1940's Germany'." Arthur signed him something else. "And that he got it off the internet."

"Hey Ludwig! Give us a good one!" Gilbert yelled.

"And it better be appropriate!" Lovino yelled too. Ludwig sighed looked at Feliciano, to whom he had been translating everything to, and started signing as he spoke.

"Do you have 11 protons because you are sodium fine." He said. Feliciano giggled and hugged him.

"Hey Abel, do you have one?" Maeve asked. Her alpha partner coughed awkwardly, not used to being the center of attention. Alfred recognized him as a Dutch soccer player in Antonio's team. He was pretty young, only 17. Arthur had mentioned Maeve was 16 before when they texted after Alfred had to leave to give Matthew his homework.

"Um, I guess." The blonde shrugged. He cleared his throat and looked at Maeve. "Is your name homework because I'm not doing you and I should be."

Maeve started laughing. "Good one! Oh, I have one too!" She tilted her head up slightly and smiled at Abel. "Kiss me if I'm wrong, but dinosaurs still exist right?" It was Abel's turn to laugh.

Arthur smiled at his little sister, and noticed a small blush on her face. He rose an eyebrow and looked over at Dylan. Dylan winked back. The twins were looking at each other and smirking.

The speakers came on and the director from Arthur's school started to speak, making everyone go quiet.

"Attention students, please head back to the buses. We are now returning to the academy. If you walked or drove here, please be sure to be back by curfew. If you rode the bus, please report to the front of the school immediately so we may make our way back. We know who went on the bus, and we will call you if you do not show up for role call." He stated and got off the speakers. Everyone from that school groaned because they all took the bus.

"Well, looks like it's time for us to go. Come on everyone." Alister said.

Everyone said their goodbyes and started leaving.

While they started to make their way toward the buses, Arthur heard someone yell his name. ("ARTIE!") He looked back and saw Alfred running towards rather quickly. He stopped right beside him and handed him a chocolate bar. "It has no nuts in it, so you're good to eat it." Alfred smiled.

Arthur smiled back shyly and took the candy bar with a small blush. "Arthur let's go or we'll leave you behind!" Lovino yelled back at him. Arthur bit his lip and looked at the older omega for a second before turning back to Alfred. Alfred was still smiling.

"It's cool Arthur, you can go now. I don't want you to get into trouble." Alfred shrugged. Arthur nodded and started walking, before an idea struck him. He turned around and walked back towards Alfred. He got on his tippy toes and gave him a kiss on the cheek, lasting maybe two seconds. Then he got back on his feet and sprinted toward the bus.

Was that reckless? Maybe. But Arthur couldn't stop smiling the whole ride back.

(And Alfred couldn't stop blushing for the rest of the day.)

* * *

 _That is the end of this chapter! YAY! AND I UPDATED BEFORE MY TRIP! I HOPE YOU ENJOYED!_

 _Matthias is Denmark (I've seen people use different names so I'm just pointing it out)  
Lukas is Norway (Same with him)  
Abel is Netherlands (And him)(Also I effin love Netherlands)(and i may or may not be shipping him with my OC)( ;) )_

 _Yes, they finally had their first kiss. Granted it was a kiss on the cheek but a kiss is a kiss none the less._

 _This is the song Arthur played:  
watch?v=zucBfXpCA6s  
_

 _This is the one Maeve was talking about:  
watch?v=wkVNgUzPVqQ  
_

 _I hope you enjoyed it! :3_


	17. Chapter 17: A Rose By Any Other Name

_No One's POV:_

Arthur looked at his English teacher with wide eyes.

"Arthur, did you not hear me correctly? You were called to the office." She repeated. The beta teacher, being what she was, didn't notice his surprised smell.

"He heard you, Miss, he's just in shock," Lovino said from beside him. The two had an English class together since Arthur was placed in a very high English class due to his outstanding English grades.

(It was a small secret that he kept to himself, but Arthur wanted to be an author one day.)

"Oh, my apologies Arthur." Arthur simply nodded and stood up. He packed his bag since the class was almost over anyway and walked out.

'The office? Why are they calling me there? I don't usually get called up unless...' Arthur froze in his tracks, trying to shake the thought away. 'No, Vash isn't here. He only comes when I ask for him. Unless it's a check-up sorta thing?'

When Arthur entered the office, the first person he saw was Vash Zwingli, his therapist. The beta stood by the secluded room used for couples to interview children they may want to adopt. Arthur gave a small nod to Vash, and the older male gave a small nod in return.

"Hello Arthur, please come in." He opened the door for the younger omega and both walked in. They sat down on opposite sides of the desk, and Vash pulled out a deck of Uno cards.

"I came to check up on you. Lovino told me you had two anxiety attacks these past few weeks, was it anything serious?" Vash asked. Arthur shook his head. The older male shuffled the deck and held it out for Arthur to part it.

Of course Lovino told him. The older omega wanted to become a therapist and practically worked under Vash as a sorta intern. He took care of Arthur and sometimes gave him sessions when they laid together on the bed. He should have known he would tell Vash about the past two attacks.

As Vash passed out the cards, the thought back to the day they went to visit Alfred's school. It was a week ago. He'd seen Alfred other days of the week, and the alpha kept blushing every time the two made eye contact. Arthur found it adorable.

It was even cuter when they had to take care of Kia and Lilo and Alfred's face was so red Lilo thought he was sick!

* * *

 _Arthur sat on Lilo's bed with Keabetswe in his lap, bouncing her lightly, while Alfred had Lilo in his lap, and Khin was mushed between them. The five were watching 'Lilo & Stitch' on Alfred's computer._

 _A pipe burst in the building where the kids up for adoption stayed and the kids were moved to stay with omegas. Lilo had been an exception to the building since she couldn't seem to be separated from Arthur for days at a time or else she'd begin to act out. (None of the other kids did that.) Currently, Keabetswe and Khin were rooming with Lilo since both of them were also taken care of by Arthur. Arthur's other kids were separated among the other omegas, but they had gone up to him all week to tell him that they loved him and the other omegas were only temporary. (Which Arthur thought was nice.)_

 _Lilo was gawking at the movie. Alfred had put it since she had apparently never seen the movie. Khin was holding Arthur's hand and rested his head on the older omega's arm. He was reading the subtitles more than he was watching the movie since his deafness was pretty bad. He used to be hard-of-hearing, which is very different from deaf, but over time it got worse and he was no longer able to hear. He had hearing aids, but since he forgot to take them out one night, he crushed them. He was getting new ones in a fortnight. The school was currently finding a new way to get hearing aids for the deaf students on campus, but they didn't have many strings to pull to provide all of the students that needed them with some. (Sadly, this meant some students, like Feliciano, can't get a pair.)_

 _Arthur laughed when Stitch was fighting with Captain Gantu, as the giant called Stitch an abomination and Stitch retorted with "Also cute and fluffy!". He loved the movie, it was very adorable. Lilo seemed to love it too! She was staring at the screen very intensely, soaking in every minute. Alfred did the same. Both of them were leaning forward, eyes barely blinking._

 _Kea, while also enjoying it, had needs of her own. One such need was her diaper. Arthur smelled it first since she was on him, so he got up to go change it. All her diapers and baby bum supplies were in the bathroom already so he just got to work. He finished quickly and sat back down on the bed, joining them for the rest of the movie. This time, he sat on the other side of Alfred to get a better view of the laptop screen._

 _Alfred glanced at him as he sat down, but he thought nothing of it and continued with the movie. Eventually, the first one ended and Alfred put on the second one. Arthur felt a bit tired and rested his head on Alfred's shoulder as it began, trying to blink his heavy eyes. It didn't work well because he fell asleep and woke up when the credits were rolling._

 _Arthur yawned and rubbed his eyes looking around the room. Khin was on his blow up mattress provided by faculty for him to sleep and Kai was in her crib that managed to be salvaged from her room which wasn't totally damaged from the water. Lilo and Alfred looked to be sleepy themselves._

 _The two blondes got off the bed to allow Lilo access to her covers for her nap. Arthur was still pretty sleepy so he leaned back onto Alfred. Lilo signed him something which made the omega curious and he glanced up at Alfred's face. Arthur smiled and looked back at the young alpha, signing back a quick reply. Lilo nodded and the two men left, allowing the children to take their naps._

 _When they got into Arthur's room, Alfred asked what Lilo had signed. Arthur got the sticky notes and green pen and started writing._

 _'_ She asked me if you were sick. _' Arthur wrote._

 _'_ Why? _' Alfred wrote back, using a blue pen. Arthur stared at the note, tired mind wandering to the fact that they always used those colored pens and never any other color._

 _"Arthur?" His head snapped up and Alfred's worried eyes caught his gaze._

 _'_ Sorry, just tired. She said your face looked really red. I told her you were probably just hot in your jacket. _'_

 _"Oh uh yeah, I am." He took it off and hung it on the bedpost. Arthur rubbed his tired eyes again and laid on his bed. Alfred joined him and the two stared at the ceiling until Arthur fell asleep again._

 _When he woke up, it was dark. Alfred was gone. A note was on his place. Arthur picked it up and read it, face flushing slightly._

 _'_ You like to cuddle in your sleep. I'll keep it a secret, no worries ;) I find it quite adorable _'_

* * *

Arthur placed his last card down: the +4. The score was 4/1, Arthur winning. Vash gave a small sigh and set down his last three cards, a yellow reverse, a yellow 5, and a red 5.

"So you went in with the thought of only seeing Alfred." Vash looked down at the notepad where Arthur wrote in their sessions. "That may have been what triggered your anxiety. By expecting only Alfred, you didn't allow your mind to think of the probability of all others and got overwhelmed by how many people there were. You wrote that you passed by a lot of alphas when walking to Alfred's dorm, they may have sent pheromones your body didn't like and rejected by giving you the anxiety."

Arthur nodded, understanding well. It had happened to him a few years ago when he first got an alpha as his buddy. The alpha made him uncomfortable by his scent and he couldn't physically be next to him, so they switched that alpha with a beta for the remainder of the year.

"Next time you go somewhere that may be full of people, like the mall or another public area, do your breathing exercises and always expect people who will make your anxiety flare up," Vash instructed. Arthur nodded.

"That seems to be all the time we have. Next time, just call me or text me after you have one alright? I'll see you later Arthur."

* * *

Arthur wandered the campus, reading the book in his hands. Romeo and Juliet, the 7th book in his drama teacher's class reading list of 10. He had never taken drama before but Kiku told him it was fun and the teacher was very nice and supportive of everyone so he thought he'd give it a shot.

It was the best decision in his life.

His teacher, Mr. Wren, had a deep passion for the art of theater and had even had a leading role in Broadway when he was younger. He decided to share the passion he had with younger generations, specifically the ones that feel they can't enjoy it well due to a deformity. His mission was to show anyone can enjoy the arts, and he was doing a very good job at it.

There was a blind boy in his class named Isaiah who could act like no other, and Mr. Wren had shown some of Kiku's play that he wrote for an assignment. It was based off a song-his being Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day as suggested by Arthur himself-and showed how a man slowly went mad walking from his home to a bridge in the forest in the middle of the night, thinking he saw people that weren't there until he finally reached the bridge only to discover someone about to jump off and he saves them. They read it in class and the entire class enjoyed it. (Arthur was a proud mother that day.)

Sadly, Mr. Wren got sick and told them to read any of the books on his reading list. Arthur went for his favorites, the classic Shakespearean ones. A Midsummer Night's Dream was also on the list but Arthur found it too crazy for his liking. I mean, how hard is it to spell the right person? It shouldn't be that hard! (Granted he was confused because there were two Athenian dudes in the forest but still, they went through a lot of stuff in that comedy.)

He was currently walking around the gardens, his earbuds on and music humming in his ears. It was one of his favorite places to read and walk, or even do both at the same time. While walking around another bush to avoid it, Arthur didn't notice the person walking toward him. They bumped into each other and Arthur dropped his book.

"Oh Moons I'm so sorry I was-Arthur?" Arthur blinked and looked up at the person's face. He had bumped into Alfred. "Hey, I was looking for you. Your sister said you'd be in the gardens so I came to look for you. I didn't mean to bump into you like this though." Alfred picked up the book and handed it back to Arthur, both of their hands brushing against each other lightly. Both faces flushed and Arthur gave a small nod of thanks, clutching the book tightly. He didn't worry about losing his page, he knew exactly where he was in the play.

"Romeo and Juliet." Alfred read quietly. Arthur nodded and led Alfred to a gazebo close to the woods and in the outskirts of the garden. It was a closed gazebo, looking rundown and overthrown by wilderness on the outside, but when Arthur opened the door, the inside was clean, void of plant life on the benches, and an open window showed wild roses peeking their color faces into the wooden structure. There were some cleaning and gardening supplies at one corner of the room, most likely used in the room.

"Wow, this place is beautiful. Do you come here often?" Alfred asked. Arthur nodded. He came as many times as he could. They sat by the roses and Alfred reached for the book. Arthur handed it over, flipping to the page where he left off.

Alfred began to read.

" **SCENE II. Capulet's orchard.**

 _ **Enter ROMEO**_

 _ROMEO_

He jests at scars that never felt a wound.

 _ **JULIET appears above at a window**_

But, soft! what light through yonder window breaks?

It is the east, and Juliet is the sun.

Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon,

Who is already sick and pale with grief,

That thou her maid art far more fair than she:

Be not her maid, since she is envious;

Her vestal livery is but sick and green

And none but fools do wear it; cast it off.

It is my lady, O, it is my love!

O, that she knew she were!

She speaks yet she says nothing: what of that?

Her eye discourses; I will answer it.

I am too bold, 'tis not to me she speaks:

Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven,

Having some business, do entreat her eyes

To twinkle in their spheres till they return.

What if her eyes were there, they in her head?

The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,

As daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven

Would through the airy region stream so bright

That birds would sing and think it were not night.

See, how she leans her cheek upon her hand!

O, that I were a glove upon that hand,

That I might touch that cheek!"

Arthur listened as Alfred did a dramatic voice for Romeo, and different accents for the scene settings and directions, hiding his smile behind his hand.

" _JULIET_

Ay me!" He said in a squeaky voice that had Arthur in a fit of giggles.

" _ROMEO_

She speaks:

O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art

As glorious to this night, being o'er my head

As is a winged messenger of heaven

Unto the white-upturned wondering eyes

Of mortals that fall back to gaze on him

When he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds

And sails upon the bosom of the air.

 _JULIET_

O Romeo, Romeo! wherefore art thou Romeo?

Deny thy father and refuse thy name;

Or, if thou wilt not, be but sworn my love,

And I'll no longer be a Capulet.

 _ROMEO_

 _[Aside]_ Shall I hear more, or shall I speak at this?

 _JULIET_

'Tis but thy name that is my enemy;

Thou art thyself, though not a Montague.

What's Montague? it is nor hand, nor foot,

Nor arm, nor face, nor any other part

Belonging to a man. O, be some other name!

What's in a name? that which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet;

So Romeo would, were he not Romeo call'd,

Retain that dear perfection which he owes

Without that title. Romeo, doff thy name,

And for that name which is no part of thee

Take all myself.

 _ROMEO_

I take thee at thy word:

Call me but love, and I'll be new baptized;

Henceforth I never will be Romeo."

Arthur couldn't take it anymore, he was laughing too hard at Alfred's horrible attempts at doing a female voice. Alfred had to stop to let Arthur calm down.

"I wasn't _that_ bad at doing the impression of a female!" Alfred pouted. Arthur snorted and erupted into another fit of giggles.

Alfred laughed with him and they went on like that for a minute or two. They were just looking at each other with both faces red from laughing, Arthur's eyes sparkling in the sunlight, hitting them just right for Alfred to see the golden specks in his foresty eyes. His eyes wandered over Arthur's red sweater and jeans, down to the black shoes he wore then back up, trying to distract himself from the way Arthur's eyes made him feel.

Arthur was surprised to see just how deep Alfred's blue eyes were. He could compare them to the sky or the ocean, beautiful things that fascinate everyone hidden just behind glass shields. He wore his usual brown bomber jacket, white shirt, jeans get up, but something felt different. He felt, newer. Like Arthur found something in him no one else had.

Neither had noticed they'd been leaning in until their noses bumped. Arthur pulled back immediately, looking down at his hands in his lap. Alfred sighed next to him and stood up.

Great, he ruined their friendship. Alfred was going to hate him and never want to speak to him again. The past two months meant nothing and now he was going to be known as the omega whose buddy ran away from him. His anxiety kicked him in the gut, and he took a deep breath to keep from crying. He wouldn't cry alone in his gazebo, he would not bring those types of memories here.

He would not cry.

He would not cry.

He would not-

Something brushed against his ear and Arthur looked up, seeing Alfred. He had garden scissors in one hand and a red rose on the other. It even had the thorns removed, through Arthur noticed a small cut on Alfred's thumb. Alfred sat down next to him again and put down the scissors, using both hands to place the flower behind Arthur's ear.

"You know Arthur, you're a really great guy. I can see that, and I know others do too. I don't want you to do anything you don't want to do around me, so if you ever feel like I'm overstepping a boundary or something, just tell me and I'll back off. Promise." He held out his pinky. Arthur looked at the pinky and smiled slightly, intertwining his with Alfred's. "Though, uh, I have one small request, for now though." Alfred smiled innocently. Arthur saw the smile and rolled his eyes, but nodded.

Alfred leaned in and gave Arthur a kiss on the cheek. "Payback." He winked.

* * *

 _Hey guys! I hoped you liked the chapter! Yes, I Shakespeared my chapter name (and chapter) but I had this one on mind for so long I had to do it. I made it longer than usual because I felt bad for the long delay. I hope you all liked it! (Awe my babies kissed again! ^/^) (Also sorry if the spacing is weird during the 'Romeo and Juliet' stuff I tried my best to fix that but I don't know how it came out, please tell me if I have to fix it!)_

 _For Vash visiting Arthur at school, I can say that it is not uncommon for teenagers that undergo therapy. Their therapist goes to visit them at school, which pulls them out of class, and they have sessions. I know because I went through this. I mainly had it because I didn't have the privilege of getting a ride to the main therapy office after school like you see in movies. And most movies get the therapy sessions dramatized btw. Once, for a session, we played UNO and talked. It was actually very good because I was able to relax and get my words out easier with little trouble. (...Okay fine, that is why I made them play UNO.) The breathing techniques are easy and I will gladly teach any of them to those of you who want me to._

 _Hard-of-hearing and deaf are two different things. Someone hard of hearing, for example, can be an old man or woman. You know, the ones who are always like "Speak up Sonny, I can't hear a word you said." or "What?" every other sentence? They can slowly or rapidly lose their hearing, and could possibly end up deaf in their life. Not all will end up deaf. Khin did though. He lost his hearing naturally, he was born like that if I may. Hard-of-hearing and deaf people don't like being called 'hearing impaired', which is a small note I picked up on in this research. Just a real world tip for you._

 _Isaiah is an OC, don't think I'll ever use him again though._

 _'Romeo and Juliet' is one of my favorite Shakespear plays, along with 'A Midsummer Night's Dream'. I really love a lot of Shakespear classics and kinda wanna take a class that studies his work in college. That'd be cool. I got the scene off a website online but tbh what isn't online these days? And while I love the play, I find their actions so stupid. Romeo caused the death of 6 people because he couldn't keep it in his pants. Note to self ladies, be a Rosaline._


	18. Chapter 18: I'm Afraid

_No One's POV:_

Arthur placed his hand where Alfred kissed his cheek for the umpteenth time that day.

After Alfred left from their day in the gazebo (which had more Romeo and Juliet readings and Arthur's laughter filling the room), Arthur placed the rose on his desk and took a picture of it with his phone. Arthur rarely took pictures of anything unless it was special to him, and the rose just screamed 'TAKE A PICTURE!' at him for some reason. He placed the rose in the same drawer where the post-it messages were, knowing he can't really put it in a vase.

Ever since that moment, Arthur couldn't stop brushing his fingers against the spot where surprisingly soft lips met his cheek. And he was pretty sure his brothers were noticing.

Alfred had texted him earlier telling him he really had to study for a test so he couldn't go visit him today but would make it up to him later. Arthur responded with a ' _no problem_ ' and ' _good luck on your test_ ', but inside he felt disappointed.

At breakfast, Dylan and the twins were watching him as he played with his pancakes, picking at them but never really eating any. Maeve asked him if he still had some so he handed the plate over to her and ate the eggs he'd picked up. The family all felt mortified, even Alister could tell what was going on with his keen nose and ears, and he was the farthest one from Arthur.

"What da fok is goin' on wit ya today, Artie?" Alister asked. Arthur looked over at him, eyes trailing along each of his brother's faces and he just shrugged.

"Are you sad because your boyfriend isn't gonna come to visit you today?" Maeve asked sarcastically. Arthur's scent gave off an alarming amount of "How did you know?!", making his brothers grow tense.

" _Boyfriend_?" Alister snarled. Arthur shook his head rapidly, and he gave Maeve a smack upside the head as she snickered.

He quickly signed ' _no_ ' and ' _boyfriend_ '. (Boyfriend being signed by making the 'speaking hands' at the right side of his forehead twice then signing friend.) Connor narrowed his eyes at Arthur. He and Arthur were pretty close so he can tell when Arthur was lying.

Connor pointed at Arthur then rubbed the underside of his nose with the pointer finger. ' _You liar._ '

Arthur shook his head. He pointed to himself, then signed ' _no_ ' and ' _lie_ '. ' _I'm not lying._ '

Dylan put up both hands, his palms facing himself, then slapped the tips of his fingers three times-left, right, left-while rolling his eyes. ' _Whatever_.'

Arthur pouted. He didn't like making his brothers get angry with him, he'd always looked up to them and wanted them happy with him. He sighed and got up from the table, taking his plate of eggs with him. He wasn't feeling very hungry anymore so he left the plate on top of the finished table where everyone left trays of plates that weren't being used anymore.

He walked the gardens like he usually did to clear his head, and found a surprising sight. He saw Matthew and Gilbert sitting at one of the benches. Why was Matthew here so early? Did he not have class back at his own academy that day?

Arthur shrugged it off and kept walking, not wanting to intrude but the mention of Alfred made him curious and he really just had to stay.

"Alfred's been acting weird lately," Matthew told Gilbert with a small huff. "Dad has called and tried to get in touch with him but can't seem to. It's like Alfred's forgetting why we came here in the first place. He's going to get the company after he turns 21, but he acts like it's not a big deal. I'm just worried that all the pressure finally made him snap and he's doing reckless things."

"Maybe that's why he's acting weird." Gil shrugged.

"Huh?"

"The guy only has two more years before he becomes an adult. He probably feels like he needs to get the whole teenage experience before it. I know that as soon as I turned 17 I convinced my _Vader_ to let me get a tattoo, and it was one of the most painful experiences in my life, but I had to do it because when I turned 18, I had to begin searching for an omega."

"So this is just him getting his final moments of being a kid?"

"Ja."

"...That makes sense. Alfred looks really laid back but he's really a very serious guy. He's just letting it out."

Arthur started walking again, eyes wide.

He was rich. Of- _fucking_ -course he was rich! He wouldn't want Arthur, he'd want another rich omega with gold on their necks and had people kissing the ground they stepped on. Arthur couldn't be that omega. He'd never be able to live up to that.

' _I should have known,_ ' he thought sadly. ' _I wouldn't be good enough for him._ '

Arthur left the gardens and walked over to where his dorm was located. He left out a soft breath and stared at the sky as he walked. There were classes today but he didn't have any since Mr. Wren was not here today. The dorm building's shadow fell over him as he got closer and a whiff made his heart jump. Arthur looked at the bench next to the main door and saw Maeve. She looked up, having smelt him too, but her eyelids covered unseeing eyes.

"Artie?"

He went and sat next to her. She rested her head against his shoulder and sniffed his scent.

"I'm sorry Artie. I didn't mean for that to happen. I was just teasing and they took it a bit too far." Maeve mumbled. "I know you don't like them being angry with you, I don't either. But they're our older brothers, and they're protective, I should have expected that to happen."

Arthur wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her closer, kissing her forehead. Maeve smiled, green eyes like his sparkling. It was a shame they couldn't see how beautiful she was becoming.

"You can still get with Alfred though. I'm sure he likes you." Maeve smiled some more. The conversation between Matthew and Gilbert came into his head and he gave a harsh laugh. Maeve frowned at that.

"Artie?"

He got up and held her hand, helping her get up too. Arthur led Maeve to his room, passing Lilo's-which he checked to see if she was there or in her preschool classes that she sometimes skipped-and sat her on his bed.

Maeve listened to him as he paced the room, and sighed. "Words Artie, use them."

"I'm afraid." Arthur blurted, then slapped his hand over his mouth in terror.

* * *

 _Wow, I've updated early. I was so bored at home that all I did was write and write and I got this. I hope y'all liked it! ;D (It's also short I'm sorry I couldn't think of much for this)_

 _Yes, Artie did just talk, thank you for noticing. I thought I'd give you all heart attacks in this one. :3_

 _Alfred's backstory, and Arthur's as well, will be touched on in the next few chapters so prepare yourselves for some angsty shit! :D (I swear I love you all)_


	19. Chapter 19: The Fire

_No One's POV:_

They were a happy family.

The Kirklands weren't the richest, and they weren't the wisest, but they were happy. A 12-year-old, 10-year-old, and two 9-year-old alphas make up the oldest children. The 8-year-old and 6-year-old were the only omega children. And finally, a 2-year-old alpha to make a full circle. Yes, six sons and one daughter kept Laura Kirkland, the mother of the busy household, on her toes as she ran back and forth between her children, making sure each one was well cared for and felt loved. John Kirkland, head alpha of the family supported his family with a good paying job that kept him far away, but he made it to all the important moments and was there when his family needed him most. Yes, his family was very important.

Laura always claimed to have no favorites-and she really didn't have any-but if you asked the older kids, they'd all name Arthur as her favorite. (Arthur would name Peter since he was the baby of the family.) He was a Mama's boy. He'd follow her wherever she went and would sing to her.

He loved to sing.

Laura always sang her children a lullaby before they went to bed and Arthur memorized it, singing it whenever he wanted to calm himself down from throwing a tantrum or crying. His father would play guitar on his days when he was home, and he taught Arthur how to play after the young lad had shown interest in it. They also had a piano in their home left by the previous owner that the Kirkland parents never got rid of which Arthur practiced on too. Neighbors lent him all types of instruments and Arthur learned them quickly and easily. The family noticed they had quite the prodigy among them, and his brothers would tease Arthur, telling him he'd be the one singing to his Alpha from outside a window, not the other way around. (Yes, that was the most important subject at the point in Arthur's life, he was too romantic for any future alphas.)

The siblings were just like any others. They had their problems and fights, but at the end of the day-or week-they stuck together. Especially on Friday movie nights when everyone had their blanket partner and smushed themselves onto the couch to binge as many movies as they could before their mother called for lights out.

Yes, they were quite happy indeed.

Until the day of the accident.

* * *

It was a normal Wednesday for them.

The family was in their quaint home in Harrow, UK, getting ready to sleep that November night. Alister was with Maeve, brushing her still wet hair instead of getting into the shower since she got her brush tangled in it again and she was having trouble getting it out. The twins and Dylan were brushing their teeth in the bathroom downstairs, mainly because it had the fun sink with the whale that changed the water patterns to come out of its blowhole and made it easier to get water into their mouths, (almost like a water fountain one could say.) Arthur was with Peter and his father, showing Peter there were no monsters in his closet and getting ready to sing the lullaby in place of his sick mother. Laura Kirkland was in her bedroom, already in bed and sleeping, the head and stomach ache she'd had for the past week keeping her bedridden.

Yes, it was a perfectly normal night.

Then the explosion.

No was expecting it. There were no clear signs that it would be coming, but it came anyway and ruined the quiet night they'd had. It was the gas line. And unfortunately for them, that meant fire.

* * *

The explosion was right above Dylan and the twins, the loud sound causing their ears to ring tremendously. They weren't sure what was going on, but after starting to smell smoke, they ran to their living room and out the front door. When Dylan turned to ask the twins something, he couldn't hear his own voice. And from the looks on his brothers' faces, they couldn't hear him either.

* * *

Alister and Maeve were in the room next to the explosion. The heat wave had the ceiling on fire. It started burning rather quickly and Alister grabbed Maeve, jumping out of the way of the falling piece of ceiling. He was close to the window, and there was nothing but grass on the other side. He looked and saw no fire, then broke the glass. Some shards fell into his and Maeve's eyes, but he didn't care about that. With Maeve in his arms, he jumped out the window. He got a broken wrist, but that was the least of his problems. Because when he opened his eyes, his vision was blurred out of proportion. "Alister? Where are you?" Maeve cried. He held her tighter.

"I'm here."

* * *

Peter wasn't sleeping anymore. Arthur looked at his father in horror. The explosion came from down the hall. They noticed the smoke and John opened the window. He saw Alister and Maeve in the grass already. He grabbed Peter and jumped out, not as hurt as his son.

"Arthur! Jump I'll catch you!" He called.

"No! I'm going to find Mum!" He yelled back.

"Arthur, please! She might already be outside!"

"I'm going to find her!" He yelled. Arthur grabbed his emergency pack-he was always one step ahead-and stuffed his shoe box in it, then the carousel. There was no way he'd let Granny's carousel burn.

He knew fire procedures because of the presentation firemen did once at his school and crouched to the floor, using his shirt to breath. He crawled to his parent's bedroom and used his finger to see how hot it was. He hissed and pulled it back before he even laid a hand. It was very hot. He knew the risks but Arthur didn't care. He opened the door, hand burning, and opened his mouth to call for her but stopped dead in his tracks.

He found his mother alright, a burnt crisp of her. The canopy that hung over hers and his father's bed was on fire and over her like a veil. She was dead.

Arthur crawled back to Peter's room, which was now on fire, and looked out the window. His father was still there. Arthur was coughing a lung out, having breathed in a lot of smoke, and his hand was hurting badly.

"Dad!" He coughed. His father was there in a second. Arthur crawled out the window and let go. The cool November air whipped his hair around as he fell and landed in his father's arms.

He was rushed to the front of the house where firemen were on the scene. A mask was put over his mouth and nose to breathe, and paramedics were tending to his hand. He looked around and saw his siblings getting tended to. Dylan and the twins were having their ears checked out, Maeve and Alister their eyes and his wrist, and Peter everything. His eyes watered. How would he tell them what he saw?

"Arthur, are you okay? What happened?" His father asked. Arthur opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out. He couldn't- _no_ , he wouldn't talk. Never again.

 _Why have a voice if the person who loved it most was no longer there?_

* * *

They put out the fire quickly.

The family was still waiting outside for more ambulances to come and pick up six of the seven children. It turns out some injuries were more severe than originally thought. And could possibly be permanent.

Arthur watched in silence as the last flame went out. John approached them to ask about his wife, but the looks on their faces stopped him.

"We're sorry, John. We found this in the bedroom." One man handed John something tattered and round, black soot covering parts. It was her wedding ring.

John took it and sobbed. His kids watched him, each of them letting their own tears flow.

Something landed on Arthur's cheek and he wiped it away. Then again. He wiped it away again. Then more. And more. It started to rain. Arthur cried harder. Stupid rain, stupid turn of events. Why? Why had the rain come now and not when the house was on fire? It could have saved his house. It could have saved his mother! There was a clap of thunder, making them all jump, except for Dylan and the twins, Arthur noticed.

From that moment on, Arthur hated the rain. He hated it and all it stood for. Because it didn't help him. And it didn't save his mother.

The ambulances got there a bit slower than planned, but they were loaded into them and taken to the hospital anyway.

* * *

Arthur spent a week there despite not being as injured as his older brothers or sister. No, they kept him because he refused to speak. He couldn't. Not after what he saw.

Jett and his family came within the week they were there. They visited all of them, but Jett mainly stayed with Arthur. Jett saw Arthur as a second mother despite them being cousins, mainly because he used to baby him when he visited from Australia. They made Jett try to get a word out of him-which was a very adult task put on the shoulders of a 5-year-old -but it didn't work. Not even Jett could get him to speak, which really worried them.

Eventually, a child psychologist went in to talk to the eight-year-old. He handed him a pad and pen and asked him questions that he would write the answer to. After he finished all the questions, the psychologist left and went to talk to his father. Arthur wasn't what they talked about but he didn't care. He wanted to leave the hospital and go home with his siblings and father, wherever that could be now.

The doctor came in with his father, and Arthur stared, waiting for him to say something.

"Arthur," he walked over to the side of the bed and sat down, taking one of his hands. "what exactly did you see in there?"

Arthur stared at him blankly. How could you explain something like this to someone who wasn't there? Especially when you no longer have the voice to either?

John sighed, but squeezed his son's hands. "Arthur, you have selective mutism and anxiety. Do you know what this means honey?"

Arthur shook his head.

"You're going to go to a special school from now on with all your siblings but Peter since he wasn't as hurt as you all were. This school is going to help you find ways to communicate without talking while also going to proper schooling and even omega classes. You're going to stay there for the school year and come home during breaks. Peter and I are going to find a new home for all of us. We'll all be fine. Everyone already knows about the school, and they're going. What do you say, Arthur? Do you want to go?"

Arthur just stared at his father, who looked so tired and aged despite it only being a week. Arthur and his siblings didn't go to the funeral since they were still stuck in the hospital, no matter how much their father pleaded for one day. He didn't want to put his father through any more of that, so he just squeezed his hand and nodded.

Arthur was on his way to The Academy for the Specially Inept.

* * *

 _Wow. That is one tragic backstory. I'm sorry Arthur but it had to be done._

 _Yup, this is why Arthur is mute. He saw his Mama die when he was 8. And 10 years into the future, he meets Alfred, the first person he's wanted to willing talk to without knowing._

 _Guys, don't hate me for this. This has been planned since the beginning of the book. (Special thanks to a family member of mine for helping me out with the little details.)_

 _Jett is Australia, Laura is Britannia, and John is Celtia or Celtica or something like that? I can't remember and I forgot to save the link that had their names...sorry._

 _Why fire you may ask? I did some snooping around and England has a whole holiday to fire on November 5th. I thought I'd make irony to the holiday where people celebrate by making bonfires and having this family hate fire. And I made the school located in London, where it rains a lot, to further thicken the plot. This holiday is called Guy Fawkes Night or Bonfire Night or Firework Night. One of the three. The reason its celebrated is a bit wacky, I suggest finding out why._

 _I hope you guys liked (er, well, you know) the chapter. I worked pretty hard on this one since there were so many details I wanted to include but just seemed useless in the end. I know this seems like its early but trust me, you need to know this for the future chapters._

 _Please tell me what you think, and I'll see you in the next chapter! :D_


	20. Chapter 20: I Don't Know

_No One's POV:_

Alfred Foster Jones was a complicated alpha. Most would see him and imagine him to be a stereotypical jock of an alpha. Others could see him as the hardworking, eldest son and future CEO of Jones Co., one of the most powerful and richest companies in America. Arthur Kirkland sees him as a kind, strong alpha that's great with kids and knew how to put a smile on anyone's face, especially his.

Alfred didn't usually care about what others thought of him, except for when it came to Arthur, and the thought terrified him when he realized it. Never had any other omega caught his attention like this, not like how Arthur had it. It was like the omega had him wrapped around his delicate little finger and he didn't even realize it!

Truth is, he didn't actually have a test. He was trying to avoid Arthur without letting it show. He felt like he gave Arthur too much power and he tried to gain some of it back.

"Arthur is too busy to be with me."

' _He's taking care of kids which he can do with yours ;)._ '

"He doesn't like me in that way."

' _You never know._ '

"Ugh, stop it brain!"

' _No._ '

Alfred groaned and faceplanted into his pillow. His computer started to ring and he looked over at it, the screen showing a picture of a man with dark blonde hair and violet eyes. He sighed and picked up, trying to give his best smile for the face time.

"Hey, Ma!" Alfred smiled. The omega on the screen frowned back at him.

"Alfred, I've been calling you for days. Why didn't you answer me?" He demanded.

"Sorry Ma, I've been busy with school. I was studying all week for a few tests that I had today and put my phone away to keep from getting distracted. I was gonna call you back each time but it was already late over there and I felt bad waking you up." Alfred explained, sitting on his bed with his back against the wall.

His mother's face softened and he sighed. "Okay, I understand. Did you ever see that I replied to your email? The chocolates should be at your school by tomorrow so you can give them to your friend."

Alfred smiled. "Awesome, I know he'll love them. Omegas and chocolates, am I right?"

The older male raised an eyebrow. "An omega? I wasn't aware you were courting someone, Alfred."

Alfred felt his face grow hot. "I'm not! I just thought Artie would like to try some American chocolate, that's all!"

His mother smiled. "You know you can court whoever you want Alfred. We're going to make you marry an omega you don't love. So, tell me about this 'Artie'."

And so Alfred forgot his embarrassment and spent a good hour talking to his mom about Arthur, the little details he noticed ("Artie's got these amazing gold specks in his green eyes. And these adorable freckles!") and things he admired ("He takes care of 14 kids every Monday at 4:00 sharp and he doesn't mind that he makes $10 an hour each time! I know a few guys in class who would demand high wages because they're spoiled brats."). Next thing he knew, he had spilled everything he liked about Arthur and his mom had tears in his eyes.

"Ma? You okay?" Alfred frowned, worried.

* * *

Tony Jones-Williams never thought he'd see the day when his eldest boy fell in love. He was sure he'd be somewhere else in the world, but no. There he was, face timing his son who was not only in love but had no idea he was.

"Ma?"

"Oh Alfred, how do you not know?" Tony wiped the tears from his eyes and looked at his son with a smile. "You're in love."

Seeing his boy's face turn red was the highlight of his day. Alfred, being an alpha, never got in touch with his emotions as much as his omega twin. He didn't know how to speak about them as well as others.

"N-No I'm not! How the hell can I be in love with this guy? I barely, we don't know each other at all!" Alfred protested. Tony smiled.

"I know from experience."

Alfred deflated a bit as he looked at his mother. Tony loved to tease his son, but that was not what he was doing.

"I've told you before, the story between your father and I. I absolutely hated the thought of an arranged marriage and barely spoke to him. Yet, even though I was harsh and unresponsive, he still gave me the time of day and I slowly grew to like him, then we fell in love. Alfred, why don't you try it out? Give yourself time to see if you have fallen in love with Arthur for yourself. I'm only saying it now because that's what I see. You are very smart Alfred, you'll know."

"I...don't know Ma. I don't think he likes me in that way. And it's not like I can ask him. He doesn't speak." Alfred sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

Tony pursed his lips. "Words don't always communicate what we say. Scents can tell us a lot about a person. It's how the world worked before languages, isn't it? I say just try it out. Ask him to go out again, and if he says yes, then ask him if he'd consider it a date. Omega's are bashful honey, you know this. He won't respond by word, smell his scent. If it's nice, he might be thinking yes. It's not hard to do."

Someone off-screen called for Tony. "I have to go, work is waiting. Tell Mattie I said hi okay?"

"I will Ma. Tell Dad I said hi, and Michael I sent him his birthday gift early."

Tony nodded and disconnected.

* * *

Alfred turned off his computer and looked at his phone, which was on his left. Alfred licked his lips and picked it up, putting in his passcode and going to his texts. He clicked on Arthur's contact name, 'Artie :D', and started typing.

 _Hey Arthur, are you free later today?_

He put his phone down and shook off the worry he was feeling. He shouldn't worry. Not at all. Why is he worried? Is he even worried? No, that's not what he was feeling. He had a pit in his stomach, people usually feel that when they're...uh... _nervous_! There we go. He was nervous.

His phone buzzed and Alfred picked it up.

 _Yes, why?_

His heart thumped loudly in his ears.

 _I'm done with my test, do you want to hang out?_

The three dots haunted Alfred. They danced and hid the message Alfred desperately wanted to read. His phone vibrated in his hands.

 _Sure._

A sigh of relief left his mouth.

 _Awesome, I'll come to get you soon. See you then! ;)_

The message sent and Alfred jumped out of his bed, stuffed his phone in his jeans and threw on his bomber jacket. He looked in the mirror and ran a hand through his hair. "Eh, good enough." He grabbed his keys and ran out the door, heart thumping with his opportunity in hand.

He was going to court Arthur.

* * *

 _Hey everyone! I'm sorry for being gone so long. I started college after summer ended and it's a bit harder than I anticipated. Plus I had a family emergency that kept me from working on it._

 _I'm sorry it's short, I didn't really know what to do. I'll try to make the next one longer. I'm just a bit tired from writing all these papers in my other classes and then writing this. That's a lot of writing and my hands hurt. Plus I have projects to work on due in less than a month. It's been hard but I'll make it through._

 _I hope you guys liked it!_

 _Tony Jones-Williams is Alfred, Matthew, and Michael's omega mother. 'Mother' and 'Father' isn't strictly bound to one gender in this AU. Since omegas, despite being male or female, can give birth, they are technically mothers. Same with alphas being fathers. Instead of gender stereotypes, there are sign stereotypes. Omegas are more feminine, Alphas more masculine, and Betas don't necessarily have to fit into one of those stereotypes. Their father will show up later._

 _I was gonna make his parents SuFin, but its used everywhere so I decided not to._

 _Yes, Alfred has finally realized his feelings for Arthur. Arthur is still thinking about whether or not he really likes Alfred. And Alfred is going to court Arthur! :D_

 _We'll see how that unfolds later._

 _Have an amazing week everyone!_


	21. Chapter 21: Arthur Talks

_No One's POV:_

Arthur had his hand over his mouth, staring wide-eyed at Maeve.

"...Okay, that's not what I meant." Maeve whispered.

"I-I don't know what to say." Arthur continued. His voice felt foreign. He hadn't used it in a while, it was worrying him. _Would he lose his voice again after just getting it back?_

"Arthur calm down. Your scent is really distressed." Maeve spoke up worriedly.

Everything emotion he had seemed to flood him. Anger, fear, anxiety, and even a bit of hope. _He had his voice again._

"I'm sorry Maeve." He sobbed. Crying felt like a good way to express everything he was feeling. "I'm so sorry. You all needed me and I wasn't there for you even though you were all there for me and I-I-I kept everything in until that day five years ago and I never apologized and I'm so sorry." He cried and hugged her. "I'm sorry I said that."

"Arthur it was five years ago. You were angry and afraid. I'm not mad. I was never mad. I was...I was sad for you." Maeve hugged him back just as tight and cried with him. "You changed a lot, Arthur. But people change don't they? They grow and they change when life throws them an obstacle they don't want."

Arthur let go first to wipe away her tears. Maeve smiled, looking at Arthur with her deep green eyes like his, like Alister's, like Mum's.

"You look like Mum, so much like her."

Maeve smiled some more. They rarely mentioned Mum since the incident and she had almost forgotten how much she resembled her.

"So why are you afraid?" She asked unsure if it was overstepping a few boundaries.

"I...don't want to talk about that right now," Arthur whispered.

"So let's talk about something else."

They began to talk.

Arthur talked with the voice that he had hidden for a long time, rejoicing in the fact that he was speaking and he had the energy to. Other times in therapy when Vash tried to get him to speak he'd tucker out after three attempts. It's not easy to do something that you have no motivation in doing then are forced to do it. It takes all your energy and forces you to recharge at the worst time.

"What triggered you that day five years ago? Do you know?" Maeve asked.

Arthur frowned, thinking back to the day of his meltdown.

* * *

It was a normal Tuesday. That's how it felt like anyways to him. He was 13 now but he acted more grown up. Maeve, Jett, and Peter were looking up to him, he had to be a good role model.

The school put him in charge of a child, a young beta named Davie who was deaf, and he had done an amazing job caring for him until the family that adopted him came. He had to show he was responsible, and he did just that. The school was starting a new program where they'd give omegas children to care for so they'd be prepared for parenthood and when they get married. Arthur loved Davie and treated him like he was his own, but kept in mind he couldn't get too attached since he was going with a new family.

Davie gave him a hug the night before he left since Arthur wouldn't be there to see him off.

' _Thank you for everything Arthur_.' Davie signed after he let go. Arthur smiled and gave him a small goodbye present. It was a picture of the two when he and Davie went out to the city with some other kids. They went to the mall and took pictures in a photo booth. It was an enlarged version of the one Davie liked, which was the one where both of them were making hearts to the camera. Davie thanked him again and ran off to his room, ready to sleep the night away to go with his family.

Arthur remembered the next morning when he caught a glimpse of Davie leaving with his family, smiling brightly. It was a pair of betas, both male, that adopted him. Arthur was happy for him. Happy for nice little Davie with dark skin and dark eyes, who never fought with his peers or argued about chores.

But his mind said otherwise.

That Tuesday that Davie left, Arthur was not yet aware how much he had grown attached to the beta-boy and was feeling like something inside him was missing, making him distressed and snappy. Like an omega mother who had their child taken away.

Which is exactly what his instincts were telling him happened.

He signed something angrily at Alister about him not finishing his food and the alpha growled.

"Stop being such a Mum."

That really ticked him off.

"WELL AT LEAST I'M NOT A LAZY ARSE LIKE YOU!"

And that's how it started.

He was screaming at them about being horrible brothers, and Maeve about how she wasn't a good sister, at his father-who wasn't there-because he didn't want to go back for his Mum, everyone that he could see. He yelled at Lovino too but the older omega didn't pay attention to him because he knew from a whiff of his scent that he was just using this as an excuse to let out some feelings and rage that was pent up inside him.

The staff had to drag him away and to a conference room. He was in there by himself until Vash arrived.

"Arthur? What happened in there?" Vash asked, looking concerned. One of the omega staff walked in with him, his scent helping calm Arthur down further.

Arthur looked at the beta and opened his mouth, ready to tell him, but he suddenly lurched forward, covering his mouth. Vile was crawling up his throat and at the back of his mouth, ready to come out. The older omega quickly handed him the trash can next to the door and Arthur released the vomit into it, tears running down the younger man's face. The older man rubbed Arthur's back to comfort him as Arthur continued to throw up. His anxiety was through the roof, he could tell that much.

"...We need to start doing speech therapy, Arthur." Vash told him. Arthur looked up from the edge of the trash can with blurry eyes and began another round of vomiting.

* * *

"I think it's because Davie left that day." He whispered. Maeve nodded.

"I liked Davie, I thought he was adorable."

"He was close to your age."

"Still."

The two omegas smiled at each other and Arthur felt a buzz come from his pocket. He pulled out his phone and made a surprised noise.

"What is it?"

"Alfred texted."

"What does it say?!" Maeve began jumping in her seat.

"It says ' _Hey Arthur, are you free later today?_ '." Arthur read.

"Answer him!" Maeve squealed.

"Saying what?!" Arthur felt panicky.

"Yes, _iongantach_!" Maeve yelled.

Arthur typed his response and read it to Maeve. "' _Yes, why?_ '." Maeve nodded in approval and he sent it.

Alfred responded rather quickly.

"' _I'm done with my test, do you want to hang out?_ '." Arthur read. Maeve screeched and fell off the bed. He helped her up and set her back where she was.

"SAY YES SAY YES SAY YES SAY YES!" Maeve screamed.

"How? Do I just say yes? Do I say okay? How do I say it?!" Arthur typed and retyped his answer times.

"Make it casual." Maeve hissed. Arthur bit his lip and nodded.

"' _Sure._ '" Arthur read the message. Maeve nodded.

Arthur pressed send.

"' _Awesome, I'll come to get you soon. See you then! ;)_ '" Arthur read aloud.

Maeve awed. "You're going on a date."

"It's not a date. We're just going to...hang out." Arthur bristled.

"...Are you going to talk to him?" Maeve asked quietly.

"NO! NO WAY! He'll...he only knows me as a mute. This will be a big thing. I only barely started to talk, and only to you. I don't want to change everything." Arthur whispered.

Maeve nodded, holding her hand out. Arthur took it and she brought his hand to her lips, kissing it. "I can smell your discomfort. You can go back to signing now Artie, it's okay."

Arthur let out a shaky breath and nodded. He took her hand and pressed the tips of her fingers to her lips, then moving it forward, almost like she was blowing a kiss.

' _Thank you._ '

* * *

Maeve left Arthur's room before Alfred got there so he could get ready. He was wearing black skinny jeans, a _Green Day Revolution Radio_ muscle shirt, a black jacket, and black and white converse. Emo phases never die, not with Kirklands.

He ran his hand through his hair, trying to fix it up some more but sighed in defeat. His hair was always going to stay messy.

There was a knock on his door and Arthur quickly opened it, expecting Alfred. Instead, he saw Lilo. He was a bit surprised. _What was she doing here?_ Realization struck him and he frowned, raising an eyebrow.

Lilo snuck out of her preschool classes.

Lilo smiled at him innocently but he sighed and shook his head. He picked her up and walked out of his room, making sure his phone and key were in his pocket before closing the door. He was starting his trek to Lilo's class when Alfred showed up.

"Hey Artie. Awe hey Lilo." He cooed at the girl. Lilo giggled and held her hands out, wanting Alfred to carry her. Arthur transferred her over and took Alfred's free hand, dragging them both to Lilo's class.

Alfred was confused but didn't question it.

When they arrived outside the classroom, Lilo's teacher was talking to one of the security guards that worked on the campus. The omega man noticed them and immediately took Lilo out of Alfred's arms and scolded her.

"Thank you so much Arthur. I should have known to text you first. Lilo you can't just run away from the classroom when you're bored naughty girl." He scolded and took her back inside. The security guard left now that Lilo was back safe and sound.

Alfred was cracking up next to Arthur.

"Does she do this often?" He asked as he gasped for breath, doubling over to laugh some more.

Arthur nodded, smiling a bit. Alfred's laugh was contagious, he couldn't deny that. Even if it sounded very boisterous.

After Alfred managed to regain his composure, the pair started making their way to the car park where Alfred left his car. Alfred made conversation by talking about the 'test' he took and how he found it very easy. "I was stressing over nothing! It was an easy A." He smiled.

Arthur nodded, smiling back.

"So I thought we could head to the mall. There's a new movie that I've been wanting to see that's out that I thought you might like. Then we can just walk around the mall until you want to go home." Alfred explained, having planned it on his way to Arthur's.

Arthur nodded, liking the idea.

To the mall they go.

* * *

 _...Hey y'all. So, uh, I've been gone for a while. I'm sorry. I had school and projects and essays and ugh._

 _I know I know, it's kinda short. I promise I'll try to make the next one longer._

 _iongantach-stupid in Scottish Gaelic. I have a headcanon that England can speak all the languages of his brothers so he can communicate with them on a deeper level when he needs to._

 _In the next one I'm going to show the steps to courting as Alfred and Arthur are at the mall._

 _Artie talked! :D He's not going to talk to Alfred yet but he will soon. (It's because of his anxiety.)_

 _So that whole Davie thing I wrote to kinda show how much instinct really affect Arthur as well. Instinct will also play a big part in courting so this won't be the only time they come up. (Yes, this Davie is named after_ that _Davie.) What Arthur had was an anxiety attack, but he didn't know at the time. Vash, being his therapist, realized what it was and that's why he said they would begin speech therapy, so Arthur would stop connecting his voice to his anxiety. I mentioned before and will mention later, Arthur sings to himself when he's alone in his room songs he likes, especially his mother's lullaby. That will come up later on._

 _To me, Lilo seems like the kid who does random stuff and everyone is used to it. I bet one day she'll walk in wearing a chicken costume and no one would blink an eye. Sneaking out of class to hang with Arthur? Totally something she'd do. Arthur doesn't approve of course, but he's touched she wants to spend a lot of time with him._

 _That's all the notes I have right now. Thanks for waiting guys. I hope you enjoyed it!_


	22. Chapter 22: Matt and Gil's Adventure

_No One's POV:_

Matthew and Gilbert got along better than they originally thought they would.

They usually walked around the campus, talking. Despite being blind, Gilbert really seemed to know where he was going. Perhaps it was instinct.

Matthew normally talked about his family and things he'd do.

Gilbert talked about _everything_.

They were a strange pair, but a nice one.

That day, Matthew had no classes and neither did Gilbert so the two met up early in the morning and decided to have a stroll in the gardens. Somehow, they began talking about Matthew's mother and father.

"Dad was always an alpha I looked up to. I could count on him to protect me when I needed him to. Alfred was too but being my twin, he wasn't as big or strong when we were younger. Mom is the person I want to be when I'm married. He isn't a stay at home mom, but when he is, he's like someone out of a fairytale. He's elegant and soft, but he does have a firm hand when need be. They're perfect for each other. When we were younger, Alfred and I would sneak for midnight snacks and we would sometimes catch our parents slow dancing in the kitchen, singing along to whatever song was playing and they'd look at each other and you can just tell they're so much in love." Matthew's scent was sweet, like a flower in a meadow.

Gilbert was smiling. Hearing Matthew speak so fondly about his parents reminded him of his own.

"And man, Moon Goddess help the poor sucker who flirted with Mom. Dad can get very protective of Mom, mainly since Mom can be a bit shy at times, especially around alphas his age. He grew out of a 'tsundere' stage, at least that's what our grandma said. When he and Dad first mated, they were still dancing around each other, and some unknowing alphas would flirt with Mom. He said Dad would get very protective and hug him from behind until the offending alpha left. Sometimes there are a few stragglers who catch Mom and Dad off guard, basically forcing them to turn back into the same people they were in the beginning stages of their mating, with my dad hugging Mom from behind and glaring. Alfred and I saw it happen once when Mom was still in his early stages of pregnancy with Michael. Dad looked like a tomato, his face so red as he watched the alpha look at Mom. Obviously, the alpha got the message and left us alone. It was a bit funny seeing how red Dad's face was, especially at such a young age." Matthew laughed.

Gilbert nodded.

" _Ja_. My _Vater_ and _Mutter_ are a bit similar, but it's reverse. My _Mutter_ is the one who gets jealous of omegas." He laughed. "I can always smell her annoyance to any omega who got close to _Vater_ and she'd get between them, putting me next to _Vater_ so I could take his hand and not wander off. Then she'd start talking to the omega, keeping the focus on her instead of the rest of us. Then eventually she'd make up some excuse so we could leave and that was the end of that."

Gilbert ' _Kesesesese_ 'd. Matthew giggled beside him.

"Yeah well, us omegas can get as possessive as you alphas over mates." Matt winked, forgetting for a second that Gilbert couldn't see.

The conversation shifted to their brothers, Gilbert starting it.

"West may seem like a cold guy but he's actually very sweet. Especially around Otto, our baby brother. He's a beta, but he seems to act more omega like since he's attracted to stuffed animals and softness like baby omegas usually are." Gilbert explained. "We'd switch from feeding him, changing his diaper, and bathing him. I didn't do much of it, of course, but I still helped. One day when Otto brings someone home, I'm going to tell them an embarrassing story about him because I am an excellent older brother." Gilbert smirked.

Matthew laughed. "How come you call Ludwig 'West'?"

"He was born in the west part of Germany and I was born in the east, where Prussia existed during the Wall of Berlin. Of course, the awesome me isn't that old to have lived back then, but that's where our _Mutter's_ side of the family is from and our _Vater's_ is from the west." Gilbert explained.

"Oh." Matthew nodded. "I was born in Canada, which is where our mom was born. Alfred was born in America like our dad."

"But you're twins?" Gilbert frowned, confusion wafting in his scent. Like that one scent you smell and you can't really pinpoint where you know it from but you still know what it is.

"We were born on a plane," Matthew explained. "Mom wasn't due for another two weeks but we decided we wanted out early. He had to give birth in the air in an America to Canada flight."

Gilbert gave a low whistle. "That must have sucked for your _Mutter_."

"It did, but it gave him a card over us. Whenever he's mad at us he always goes off on us telling us he didn't give birth to us on a plane to turn out ungrateful children." Matthew chuckled.

The two sat at a bench and Matthew sighed, remembering the conversation he had earlier with his mom.

"Alfred's been acting weird lately," Matthew told Gilbert with a small huff. "Dad has called and tried to get in touch with him but can't seem to. It's like Alfred's forgetting why we came here in the first place. He's going to get the company after he turns 21, but he acts like it's not a big deal. I'm just worried that all the pressure finally made him snap and he's doing reckless things."

Matthew already told Gilbert his rich background, but the older alpha didn't see why that changed anything about Matthew. That's something Matthew really admired about Gilbert. He makes judgments based on character, he doesn't care for prejudices.

"Maybe that's why he's acting weird." Gil shrugged.

"Huh?"

"The guy only has two more years before he becomes an adult. He probably feels like he needs to get the whole teenage experience before it. I know that as soon as I turned 17 I convinced my _Vater_ to let me get a tattoo, and it was one of the most painful experiences in my life, but I had to do it because when I turned 18, I had to begin searching for an omega."

"So this is just him getting his final moments of being a kid?"

" _Ja_."

"...That makes sense. Alfred looks really laid back but he's really a very serious guy. He's just letting it out."

Gilbert nodded.

The two went quiet and let a relaxed atmosphere overtake them. Suddenly, Gilbert stood up and held his hand out.

"Let's go on an adventure, Birdie."

Matthew raised an eyebrow but took the alpha's hand anyways. "Birdie?"

"You're chirpy like one. In a good way." Gilbert explained.

"Then I'll call you polar bear because, well, you look like one." Matthew chuckled.

Gilbert scrunched his nose. "Sounds too long. Why not just 'Bear'?" He suggested.

"Hm, yeah okay." Matthew nodded.

* * *

Gilbert walked Matthew to the forest. Unlike Matthew's school, Gilbert's didn't have a wall that kept the forest out of the school.

"Our school owns some forest land for ASMR and nature therapy for us students," Gilbert explained, sensing that Matthew was confused.

Gilbert kept walking, counting under his breath in German. Matthew looked around, interested in what he saw. Because of the wall, he rarely even looked into the forest between the two schools. Now, he enjoyed everything he could see.

Tall trees, the singing of birds, sunlight seeping in small silvers to the forest floor, most of it not making past the large canopy of trees. It felt like something out of a fairytale.

Gilbert suddenly lurched to the left and Matthew quickly turned too, not wanting for Gilbert to lose count and accidentally get lost.

He looked over Gilbert's shoulder and saw a large boulder in their way.

' _Oh no, is Gilbert going to run into it?_ ' Matthew panicked.

Gilbert noticed and gave a small smile, but said nothing. He reached out and touched the boulder, stopping.

"We're here, Birdie." Gil turned to the omega, opening his eyes.

Matthew looked into his red eyes, really enjoying the way the sunlight reflected off of them. Everything about Gilbert seemed to glow.

"You have very beautiful eyes." Matthew blurted. He slapped his hand over his mouth and blushed, embarrassed of his loose lips.

Gilbert laughed, throwing his head back with the 'Kesesesesesese'.

" _Danke_."

* * *

Gilbert and Matthew both sat on the boulder which had a surprisingly flat top.

Matthew looked around, the view from the height of the boulder making everything seem so much better.

"How did you find this place?" Matthew asked quietly.

Gilbert had gone silent after Matthew complimented his eyes and they climbed the boulder. It made the omega worry he did something wrong.

"I found it with West," Gilbert explained. "I've been here most of my life. I know where everything is, who works where and when, which pathways are the best for a small escape, I know everything about this place. When we were younger, West and I went on a walk and we found this place. Since I was usually alone most of the time, I would come here and let the forest keep me company. After I made friends with those crazy Italians and the Kirkland kids, well, I didn't feel as lonely. I still come out here when I need a breather. I doubt Ludwig remembers where the boulder is located, but it has nice memories."

Matthew smiled a small, barely there smile. He took Gilbert's hand in his and squeezed it gently.

"You have such nice stories," Matthew mumbled.

" _Ja_ , don't you?"

"Yes, but yours seem so much nicer compared to mine."

"Birdie, we are not competing. What is nice to you may not be the same for others. You don't have to compare your childhood to mine." Gilbert sighed, nudging Matthew with his shoulder.

Matthew hummed in agreement and scooted a bit so he could lay his head on Gilbert's shoulder. His instincts made him feel peaceful and safe with the alpha, but the calm vibe Gilbert gave off made him more comfortable.

"You're awesome, Bear," Matthew mumbled.

Gilbert stayed silent, but his scent was something happy. Cookies and Cream ice cream. One of Matthew's favorites.

"You are too, Birdie."

Matthew buried his nose a bit further in Gilbert's neck where his scent glands were the largest. They were giving off a nice smell, drawing Matthew in and consuming his senses.

Gilbert let him, knowing how an alpha scent helps omegas. Unmated omegas like to find scents that appease them in family members or friends to make up for the lack of scents from not having a mate. It usually applied to omega children, who crave calming scents more when they're young to keep a healthy mindset that they are loved and protected and nurtured as omega instincts want.

It was something psychological but Gilbert was too distracted by Matthew to think about it at the moment.

"What do you want to do with your life?" Gilbert asked, closing his eyes to listen to the noises of the forest more clearly.

"What?"

"I mean, Alfred will take your parents' company, _ja_? What do _you_ want to do since you won't? Are you going to work with him?"

Matthew thought about it.

"I don't really want to go into the business field. I'm more interested in teaching. I'd want to be an elementary school teacher for first or second graders. I believe it's called Year 2 or 3 in England." Matthew hummed. "I love kids and knowing I helped them reach a new step in life would be amazing. What about you?"

Gilbert seemed a bit shocked but answered anyway. "An engineer."

"Isn't that dangerous? Can't you get seriously hurt on the job?" Matthew furrowed his brows in thought.

"All jobs are dangerous." Gilbert snorted. "A chemistry teacher can get killed in a freak fire accident made by a student. A pilot can crash his plane. A lifeguard can drown. It doesn't matter how much or how little experience you have, and I don't think having an imparity should matter either."

Matthew nodded. "Are you studying it? Becoming an engineer?"

"I almost have a degree. One more year." Gilbert chuckled.

"I said it before and I'll say it again: you're awesome, Bear." Matthew giggled.

They sat on the boulder, time flying by. Eventually, when they got hungry, the two left the little paradise.

* * *

 _Hey folks! That's all I have for this chapter! :D I hope you guys liked it. I wrote it the same time I was working on another essay for one class and a project for another. There may be some mistakes in here, sorry about that. I didn't have time to ask someone to beta it before I uploaded._

 _A lot of things happened in this chapter and I will try to address all of them right now._

 _Alfred and Matthew's parents were talked about and so were Gilbert and Ludwig's! As explained earlier, Al and Matt's parents are OCs. Gil and Luddy's parents are Germania and a female version of Germania. Who better to marry than yourself right?_

 _Vater-Father in German  
Mutter-Mother in German  
Danke-Thank you in German_

 _Otto, Gilbert and Ludwig's baby brother, is Holy Roman Empire. I actually have a headcanon myself about Germany being HRE but for the sake of this fic they're two different people. Otto might show up later and hang with Feliciano and Ludwig for a while. You guys can imagine what the GerIta duo will do with the baby. ;D_

 _If you aren't familiar with this, during the Cold War, Germany was split in half. The West stayed with the rest of Europe and the East went under the Soviet Union. Edit: So it turns out Prussia dissolved February 25, 1947, which is not during the time of the Berlin Wall. The only reason other fanfic writers put his as the East during this time is because that's where some of his land was. What was really on the east of the Wall was DDR. That's what fell when the wall fell as well. I apologize for getting this wrong and would like to thank Guest user Sunny for the correction. :)_

 _Why were the twins born in a plane? It's a cheap excuse to explain why one is considered Canadian and the other American alright. That's all I have to say about it._

 _You may recognize some of that dialogue up there that Matt has to say about Alfie. That's because the past few chapters are all in the span of one day._

 _So Gilbert's tattoo will show up again later. And maybe one on a Kirkland kid. I'm not telling you who though. ;) (it's only going to be one!)_

 _'_ Birdie _' and '_ Bear _' are nicknames I've constantly seen in PruCan fics and I love them so much I wanted to put them in my own!_

 _ASMR, or Autonomous sensory meridian response, is basically a calming or pleasurable feeling that tingles in your body and makes you feel good. This can be caused by sounds, smells, or sights. Have you ever seen soap cutting videos? Those are ASMR videos._

 _Nature Therapy is pretty self-explanatory. Some benefits to it are the decrease of stress, anxiety, and depression. For Gilbert, who is blind, I would think he combines Nature Therapy with ASMR._

 _Step Counting. In the chapter, Matthew noticed Gilbert counting his steps. While it is something they can do to remember where something is located, blind people don't necessarily do that. Gilbert uses step counting to keep a perfect map of his location in his mind. He doesn't need it when he walks everywhere. Also, he gets around his school with scents. Different buildings smell like different things to him. In the forest, everything smells the same to him. It's all greens and vegetation, which can give off not the same, but similar scents which confuse or override his nose trying to identify all of them. Step counting is really the easiest solution in that perspective._

 _Any of you know about Sigmund Freud? The EGO guy? Well I'm using his 'three parts of the mind' to explain some instincts. For today, I will talk about the ID which connects to an omega's pleasure instinct. Pleasure, in this case, does not really connect to sex or any sexual encounters, except for certain occasions. So in Freud's research, the ID is the part of your mind that constantly seeks pleasure without really thinking about consequences. In omegas, the ID is considered strongest during their heats and when they are young children ages 0-3. The heat pleasure is obviously the need to be mated, but that's not the case for kids. It's more of a craving for affection. You know how if you don't properly nurture a baby it can die? Well omega children need_ a lot _of nurturing. More than the other two signs. As they grow, the ID slowly becomes smaller until it's what's considered an above average ID, being compared to Betas of course. Omegas still crave more affection than alphas, but not as much as a child would, or them in heat. Scents of mates regularly feed an omega's ID, which is why omegas turn to family and friends when they are still unmated to fill that need._

 _I don't see Matthew as someone happy to work in an office. But him working with children? Yup._

 _I chose Gil's engineering gig because of the Europen Industrial Revolution which started in England and spread to the rest of Europe, to places like France and Germany. Thus, engineer Gilbert was born in my head. Blind people do go into those types of careers, so I don't see why Gilbert can't. No pun intended._

 _Alright, those are all the notes I have. Once again, thank you for reading! I would like it if you guys gave reviews. They really keep me motivated and help me write. :3_

 _See you in the next one! Please expect UsUk in that one!_


	23. Chapter 23: Mall Dates and Photos

_Just a quick note before I start: I fixed somethings in the other chapter in the German and History parts. I would like to thank Guest User Sunny for the help. :) Now to the story!_

* * *

 _One's POV:_

Arthur really liked Alfred's car. That's definitely why he was very happy. Not at all because he felt like he was going on a date with Alfred. Surely _Alfred_ would not think of this as a date. No sir.

Arthur looked out the window of the car, admiring the way the world passed by him as he and Alfred drove more into the city and away from their schools. It was dark and cloudy in the outside world, and from the swaying of the trees, windy too. Arthur was sure it was going to rain but he hoped it did when he was in the mall in case they didn't find a spot in the car park and had to park in the open.

Since it was a weekday, Arthur pretty much doubted it was going to be very full, but it also was after school hours for some of the public schools so he just shut his mouth and kept his excited face. Alfred was still chatting about his test, his score, and his class. Arthur was happy to see him very relieved about the test finally being over. It sounded like he thought it would ruin his life.

"So I curious about something and I hope you don't find this weird or anything alright?" Alfred spoke up, looking over at him for a second before turning back to the road.

Arthur nodded, signaling for him to continue.

"Uh, have you ever been courted before?"

Okay, Arthur was not expecting that.

He stared at Alfred quizzically and started to think back to when he was 15 and an alpha he didn't know got him a flower but that's it. Really he's never even seen that alpha since so he doesn't consider it courting. Not to mention his brothers are very protective over him and Maeve when it comes to these subjects.

After some thought, Arthur shook his head. Alfred's shoulder sagged a bit, but Arthur wasn't sure why. _Was he tense about his answer?_

"Oh, cool." Alfred nodded. Arthur narrowed his eyes and poked Alfred's cheek. Alfred looked at him and sighed.

"I haven't courted an omega before nor have I been courted either. I was just wondering since, you know, you're 18 and I'm 19 and people our age usually find someone by now." Alfred shrugged. Arthur nodded, looking back out the window. The light in front of them just turned red so they were going to be there for a while. The bluetooth started playing a Green Day song. _American Idiot_.

Arthur turned it up a bit and smiled innocently at Alfred, who's eyebrow twitched.

"Oh haha very funny. I'll have you know I have straight A's in all of my classes." Alfred stuck his tongue out at him and they drove off, the light changing to green again.

* * *

After 10 minutes they finally got to the mall. Thank the moon that the traffic wasn't so bad this time. Alfred managed to find a parking spot in the car park with multiple floors, parking on the third floor close to the stairs.

The two hopped out of the car and started walking to the mall's entrance, going down the stairs and onto the sidewalk. Arthur freely explored the terrain with his eyes, being someone that barely leaves his school to go outside. He suddenly lurched back as a car zoomed in front of him.

"Woah Artie, you need to watch where you're going. You almost got run over." Alfred frowned. Arthur looked down sheepishly. His eyes landed on their intertwined hands.

Alfred squeezed his hand a bit. "I should keep holding onto you just in case you decide to walk without looking again."

Arthur saw him shrug. A small, breathy laugh passed Arthur's lips and he squeezed Alfred's hand back but didn't try to let go.

They entered the mall holding hands. Alfred watched as Arthur's face lit up in awe at his surroundings, a smile playing at his lips.

He let Arthur drag him around as he explored the mall with his gaze until his eyes finally landed on an omega store. The omega store displayed clothes and stuffed animals. Arthur started dragging Alfred into it, eyeing the bunny on display like a man on a mission. Alfred let him take him in, not minding the pity looks he received from other alphas. What do they know anyway? He wanted to make Arthur happy and he will.

They went straight to the stuffed animals, Arthur staring at a small white one with a pink nose. Its ears drooped over the sides of its head, the silk looking parts also pink. It had a pink fabric over the stomach and the bottom of its feet. Arthur's scent radiated how much he liked it. Alfred smiled at the smaller omega's adorable display.

"Do you want it?" He asked.

Arthur looked at Alfred and blushed, rubbing the back of his head as he smiled sheepishly. Alfred laughed.

"I can get it for you if you want. I really don't mind. Consider it a 'thanks for coming' gift." Alfred grabbed the bunny and started walking to the register. Arthur squawked behind him and grabbed his arm, trying to drag him back but it was futile. Alfred walked to the only open register and asked the lady to ring it up. The beta woman smiled at him as she did, gaze flicking to an embarrassed Arthur as she put the bunny in a bag. When he was handed the bag, Alfred looked down at Arthur.

"This is yours, but I'll carry it." He said. Arthur gave him a glare and went to grab it but Alfred held the bag over his head, laughing. "C'mon Artie, let me be a good guy here."

Arthur huffed but took his hand and started walking anyway.

They traveled to another store, this time full of clothes for all signs. Arthur walked to the alpha section, looking around with a curious glint in his eyes. Alfred followed him into the shirt section.

' _Might as well get myself something while I'm here._ ' He thought.

He chose out a black shirt with a design that said 'I'm into fitness...Fitness pie in my mouth' with a cartoon pie slice on the shirt. And it was his size! :D

He looked back over at Arthur to ask him about the shirt but he wasn't in the shirt section anymore.

"Fuck." He groaned and explored the store, keeping a clutch on the shirt he chose. He kept his nose sharp, trying to smell the tea, honey, and bakery scent Arthur had. "Oh c'mon don't tell me I lost my date in a clothes store."

He looked up and down the omega section, waved off a few salespeople, then went back to the alpha section. He was walking through the kid section in the alpha section and finally found Arthur. He was crouched down, looking at a few stuffed animals.

"Artie. Thank the moon, I've been looking everywhere for you." Alfred sighed in relief. Arthur looked up at him and raised an eyebrow. He took out his phone and showed it to Alfred.

' _Al I'm in the kid section looking at the toys_ '

' _Can you come?_ '

' _Where are ypu?_ '

' _you*_ '

Alfred took out his phone and saw the text messages.

"Oops." He muttered, handing Arthur back his phone. "Sorry, I should have called. I almost tore the place up looking for you."

Arthur shook his head and stood up, handing Alfred a toy elephant made for alpha children. "What's that for?"

Arthur started raising his hand to sign but stopped. He took out his phone and texted it.

' _Lilo's birthday is coming up. I want to get her a present._ '

"Awe, that's nice." Alfred smiled. Arthur was so cute.

Arthur shrugged but kept a small smile on his face. Alfred loved his smile.

"Let's buy it." Alfred started dragging Arthur to the register, the shirt and elephant in one hand and Arthur's in the other. Arthur's hand was actually really soft. Were all omega hands this soft?

Arthur paid before Alfred could even blink. He swiped a card from his pocket into the machine as soon as the register worker finished scanning the items. He looked so proud of himself too.

Alfred gave him a small glare. "Artie, I invited you out. Let me do the buying."

Arthur returned the glare and shook his head. They walked out of the store and Arthur sent Alfred a new text.

' _No._ '

"Artie."

His phone buzzed again.

' _No._ '

"How are you typing this so fast?"

Buzz buzz.

' _Magic_ '

' _Muggle_ '

"I am a Gryffindor, excuse you." Alfred huffed. Arthur was typing away quickly.

Buzz.

' _You look more like a Hufflepuff or a Slytherin_ '

"I took the test, I'm a Gryffindor. What about you?" Alfred thought about what house Arthur would be in. _The smart house?_

Buzz

' _Ravenclaw_ '

Buzz

' _I can be a Slytherin too_ '

"Awesome." Alfred smiled, knowing he guessed right. "Let's go check out some other places."

* * *

They continued walking around the mall, buying things here and there and just exploring shops that looked interesting.

There was a glass blowing shop that really interested Alfred, so much they stayed to watch a demonstration. Alfred bought a little American flag they had made the day before from the store. The manager gave him a small discount because he had never seen an adult alpha so entranced in glass blowing like Alfred. Glass blowing was known as an omega practice more than others because arts were usually thought of as being soft and omega-y. (Modern society has begun to change those views, but it's been a slow process.)

Arthur's favorite stores were Hot Topic and a new shop in the mall named _Wonderland_. _Wonderland_ was a new bookstore Arthur had heard of but never thought he'd see. They've been spreading rapidly in Europe and he had been wanting to visit a store in the summer. Now he had one in the mall!

The bubbly omega dragged the alpha into the bookstore and immediately took in the lavender smell. His eyes caught the fantasy section and he rushed over to it with Alfred in tow. Alfred was chuckling as the little omega explored the aisle. Arthur stopped and pulled out a book that caught his eye.

 _The Bear and the Nightingale_ by Katherine Arden. It looked interesting.

Alfred looked at books too. He pulled out _The Princess Bride_. That was one of his mom's favorite books, but he's been to busy to read it. (Plus, Alfred kinda destroyed the book when he was a kid by total accident.)

"Do you think I should send a book to my mom?" Alfred asked Arthur, who looked up from his book. Arthur looked at the book Alfred was holding and nodded. Alfred smiled.

"Great."

They both took their books and walked toward the register, excited to get them rung up.

(Alfred paid again, Arthur smacked him again)

* * *

"Hey Artie, wanna check out the arcade?" Alfred asked, nodding toward the large double doors of _Game Planet_ , one of the newest _Dave and Busters_ knockoffs that was actually well received.

Arthur nodded but lifted the shopping bags he was holding. He has clothes, a few toys, and even a new phone case (most bought by Alfred if that helped explain the bruised arm).

Alfred hummed. "We should drop off the bags first, then we'll go. C'mon!"

They walked to the parking lot and located Alfred's car exactly where they left it. They dropped off their bags and started walking back toward the mall.

"What kind of games do you think they'll have?" Alfred asked. Arthur made a gun with his hand and pretended to shoot the air.

"Shooter games huh. Probably. There can be others too though." Alfred suggested. Arthur shrugged and they both walked into the mall again. Arthur felt a little colder than before, a shiver going down his spine.

Alfred noticed and immediately took off his jacket and put it over Arthur. Arthur gave him a glare.

"Oh cmon, you're cold and I have a jacket. It's practically mandatory!" Alfred laughed. Arthur rolled his eyes but bumped Alfred's side with his shoulder anyways to show his thanks.

The omega was even bold enough to take his hand again. He ignored the way it made his heart stutter.

Alfred chuckled and they walked into _Game Planet_ together.

There was a male alpha at the front, who began smiling when they entered.

Arthur, who was too busy looking around, didn't notice the alpha's eyes raking down his body and up, lips curling seductively. Alfred, though, did notice the alpha giving Arthur bedroom eyes and narrowed his eyes, nudging Arthur closer and releasing his hand to wrap an arm around his shoulders. Arthur looked up at him and Alfred smiled down. "You still look cold, I'm just trying to warm you up."

Arthur nodded and smiled a bit, signing ' _thank you_ ' to him. Alfred used his free hand to make the 'f' in sign language and shook it from side to side. Arthur watched and his entire face brightened up.

Alfred had signed " _No big deal._ " to him. (Though one usually uses both hands to do it.) Alfred knew some sign!

Arthur gave him a smile and tilted his head slightly, his scent gingery. Alfred guesses he was curious

"Oh well you know you're always signing to me and I don't usually understand what you're saying so I thought I'd look up a few words so I would understand you more." Alfred shrugged.

The alpha from the counter cleared his throat and the two looked at him. Alfred was pleased to see the alpha seemed uncomfortable.

"A table for two, booth type if you have any. Two play cards with the max amount of credits in them also." Alfred told him. The alpha nodded and punched it in.

"To eat?"

Alfred looked at Arthur, who waved him off, but Alfred noticed him eyeing something on the menu. "An order of the double stacked chicken parm sandwich, a 'fives all around' plate, gaming double cheeseburger with a side of cheddar fries, another order of tater-tots, and to drink a...pink lemonade?" He looked down at Arthur, who nodded. "A pink lemonade, coke, and strawberry milkshake. For dessert, a brownie sundae, ginormous size please." The alpha nodded and typed everything in. After repeating everything back to Alfred and getting the confirmation that it was correct, he told him the amount. "That'll be $185.21, sir."

Alfred swiped his card and paid again. Arthur didn't complain this time. Actually, he looked grateful, but also nervous. While they were being taken to the table, Alfred saw his nervousness and chuckled.

"You don't need to pay anything back Artie. I wanted to pay everything for our date anyway."

After a second, it dawned on Alfred what he said. ' _Oh moon I called it a date! In front of Arthur!_ '

* * *

Arthur didn't react immediately.

They kept walking side by side while Arthur screamed in his mind.

' _IT'S A DATE IT'S A DATE IT'S A DATE MAEVE WAS RIGHT I'M ON A DATE! No Arthur calm down don't freak out if you freak he won't ask you out again play it cool stay cool._ '

He noticed Alfred had removed his arm from over his shoulders and was moving away but he would not let him chicken out. No sir!

Arthur took the alpha's arm and hid his face in it to hide his smile. Alfred relaxed under his touch. Okay, yeah, they'll make this work. It'll work out. They'll try it and see what happens.

* * *

They had fun.

Arthur and Alfred ate all their food (Arthur saw how much of a black hole Alfred was and gawked, but didn't necessarily think it was a bad thing, he is an athlete after all and they do need to keep up their calorie intake so they burn it off in games) and played some games. Arthur's favorite had to be air hockey one because he kept winning. Alfred's favorite was the football one, where he threw the football into a hole and racked up points and tickets. There was also the skeeball machine, that Alfred was good at. And the basketball one. And the one where you threw the baseball super hard, the harder the more points. Alfred was basically good at all the sports ones. Arthur liked the racing games, and games where he had to use his mind. By the end of their visit, Alfred had racked up so many tickets, he was able to buy a lot of prizes.

He even got Arthur a giant brown teddy bear. Arthur absolutely loved it.

He got small prizes as well, which they both enjoyed.

It was almost time for them to leave but Arthur still had 10 credits in his card and he knew a fun activity he could spend those last 10 credits on. So after Alfred bagged up his other prizes, Arthur dragged the alpha to the photo booth. Alfred chuckled a bit as they climbed in. Arthur swiped his card, finishing up his final credits.

Alfred let him select the backdrop, which was the name of the arcade (he was going for the hearts but decided against them) and they got ready to take the pictures.

"What should we do for the first one?" Alfred asked. The timer was about to stop, so Arthur just smiled and tapped his cheek. Alfred nodded and they looked back at the camera, both smiling. For the second one, Alfred blew a raspberry on Arthur's neck, making him squeal, and the picture was taken. Arthur got revenge on the third one, messing up Alfred's hair as the picture was taken. The fourth and final one was about to go off, so Arthur thought fast and leaned in. Alfred seemed to have the same idea because their lips met as the camera went off.

The fourth picture was of them kissing.

* * *

 _HEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE! I'M LEAVING IT THERE FOR NOW! ALSO SORRY IF EVERYTHING SEEMED RUSHED I JUST WANTED TO PUT THEY'RE WHOLE DAY IN THE ONCE CHAPTER!_

 _So hey there everyone, how's it going. I hope everything's good. I'm sorry this is late, I have finals coming up and 6 classes to study for. For those of you taking finals, good luck!  
_

 _I really enjoyed writing this chapter, I think mall dates are super cute and I just love the idea of Alfred and Arthur having one. This is actually kinda based off one I had. It was a family day out, not a date, but we went to the mall and shopped and ate at the food court and there was this little kid place I went to and played some arcade games. I am having a date at a mall later in December though. ;) Can't wait!_

 _So Green Day. I love Green Day. They rock. American Idiot is a personal favorite and I once wrote a small crackfic of England punking out and singing it to America when he was super pissed about something. I don't remember what because I wrote it like two years ago then deleted it but it's still in the back of my mind, wanting to get rewritten. Maybe one day. *shrug*_

 _So anyone catch all the instincts and courting bits? Because they were everywhere! When Alfred bought Arthur the bunny at the beginning of the chapter, he bought him a token of affection, which is the first gift from an alpha when they begin courting an omega. Arthur accepted it, so naturally, Alfred's instincts saw it as his potential mate accepting him so he could begin courting. Also the jacket. The. Fucking. Jacket. I love those scenes when the guys give the girls their jackets they're the best ftvgbhvgb I love them. Best cliche or trope or whatever I just love it._

 _Alright, let me be frank with you. I am a slut for Ravenclaw!England. I need more fics when he's a Ravenclaw istg. I do see why others would consider him a Slytherin, I do, but he's more of a Ravenclaw in my eyes. Industrial Revolution anyone? It started in his place! You can't tell me that isn't Ravenclaw activity. And, of course, America is a Gryffindor, though I can see him in Slytherin or Hufflepuff. Omg and Ravenclaw x Gryffindor friendships are the best! Harry and Luna anyone? ;)_

 _So Wonderland is not an actual bookstore but I thought it'd be a nice name for one. Those two books mentioned up there are actual books that I've read and enjoyed. I invite you to check them out if you're curious._

 _Game Planet isn't a real place either and I basically got everything off of the Dave and Buster's website, though I did change a few things. I hope you're all happy. I did math for you. $185.21. If you got everything I wrote up there, that's the price range of it all. I didn't put tax but eh. Didn't want to. It might add another dollar or so. I even made a list:  
_

 _Double Stacked Chicken Parm Sandwich-9.49  
_ _Fives all around-19.99  
_ _Gaming Double Cheeseburger with a side of cheddar fries 10.29+6.79  
_ _Tater-Tots-2.99  
_ _pink lemonade-2.49  
_ _Coke-2.49  
_ _strawberry milkshake-5.39  
_ _Ginormous brownie sundae-7.29  
_ _One card (300) + 100 extra chips-59x2_

 _They had a date! :D Are you guys happy?! I know I am! I've been planning that forever!_

 _HEHEHEHE! THEY KISSED! ON! THE! LIPS! Btw, if it wasn't obvious, neither planned for them to kiss for the last pic. Alfred was going to kiss Arthur's cheek and Arthur was going for Alfred's. They just kinda met in the middle. Anyway, yeah, they kissed._

 _More chapters will come soon! :)_


	24. Chapter 24: Silence

_No One's POV:_

Alfred and Arthur broke apart, both looking at each other with wide eyes.

"Arthur I..." Alfred trailed off, catching a whiff of Arthur's scent. Arthur was slightly aroused and his eyes were a bit dark.

The omega quickly blinked and looked away, face flushing. He cleared his throat and climbed out of the photo booth, Alfred following him. Two strips were printed out and Arthur took one, giving the other to Alfred.

Both looked at their strips, mainly the fourth picture, where they were kissing. It didn't look at all like an accident in the picture.

They both had their eyes closed, heads tilted, Alfred even looked like he was going to put his hand on Arthur's cheek but was too late. Arthur felt a smile tug at his lips when he looked at the second one too.

Alfred was holding him and his face was mostly hidden. Arthur's face had a large smile across his face and his eyes were closed. His face was pink and he looked like he was leaning back into the alpha.

"It looks good." Arthur looked up at Alfred, who was smiling at his strip.

Arthur nodded.

They started grabbing their prizes and made their way out of the arcade, Arthur hiding his smile in his bear.

 _He_ _kissed_ _Alfred_. _Alfred_ _kissed_ _him_.

And it was _amazing_.

Arthur kept thinking about it while they made their way out of the mall and to the car garage.

The alpha's scent was surrounding him since he still had on the jacket and sniffed it while Alfred walked ahead to open the trunk of the car. It was comforting, almost like Alfred was already his alpha.

Wait.

WAIT!

No, he did not just think about _mating_ Alfred. It's too early to think about mating, especially with Alfred. Sure Arthur was eighteen (and there were eighteen-year-olds like him that are already mated and have kids) but he was considered disabled by the government and society, they wouldn't want to see Alfred, a significantly rich alpha from a family with a background, with him, a nameless omega with a not-as-wealthy-but-well-off family. Actually, Arthur didn't care about society thought, but he had to consider Alfred's parents and family. Would they even want Arthur to be with Alfred?

Arthur yawned, handing Alfred his giant bear to be put in the backseat.

"Tired?" Alfred chuckled. Arthur nodded, trying to rub the sleep from his eyes. Alfred helped him into the car with a kiss on the temple. "Take a nap on the road, I'll wake you up when we're at the school."

Arthur nodded and put on his seatbelt. Alfred closed the door for him then climbed into the driver's seat. Alfred turned on the car then cursed when he saw the time.

"It's almost curfew at my school. I don't think I'll make it if I take you, especially if there's traffic." Alfred muttered, eyebrows furrowing as he thought of an idea.

Arthur thought about it then pointed to Alfred.

"Me?" Alfred asked. Arthur nodded. Then he pointed to himself, then back to Alfred. "You come with me?"

Arthur smiled and nodded. Alfred shook his head. "Arthur, don't you have class tomorrow?"

Arthur shook his head. He did. But it was in the afternoon.

Alfred sighed and nodded. "Fine, but I'm taking you to your school in the morning."

Arthur nodded and they began to drive. Arthur was still tired from their day and began falling asleep in the car.

* * *

"Arthur, hey wake up sleepy head. Arthur, am I really going to have to carry you?"

A voice groaned. Arthur slowly opened his eyes, yawning and looking up with hazy eyes. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and hummed, frowning at the person who woke him.

Alfred.

Oh right. He was at Alfred's school.

When he remembered what Alfred said, Arthur put his arms out and made grabby hands. Alfred looked unamused.

"Arthur."

Arthur pouted. He was still really tired.

"You are lucky you're cute."

Arthur brightened up as Alfred helped him unbuckle then picked him up from his seat bridal style. He still had on the alpha's jacket, keeping him warm since the air was a bit nippy that evening. Arthur closed his eyes again, perfectly content with having another round of sleep at the moment.

"Artie c'mon!" Alfred whined quietly. The omega huffed and wiggled in the American's arms, Alfred taking the queue to put him down. He gave the American a look but it held no real malice. They weren't even five feet from the car!

"It's going to be hard to take out all the bags and carry you at the same time." Alfred defended himself. Arthur nodded and grabbed some bags to help out, making sure to keep his stuff in the car.

"Hey woah, that didn't mean to grab stuff! I'm sure you're still tired, I can-" Arthur covered Alfred's mouth with his hand, but with love. Arthur chuckled and shook his head. He signed 'o' then 'k' to the alpha, letting him know he didn't mind it.

Once Arthur removed his hand, Alfred frowned. "Still..." The alpha mumbled.

Arthur rolled his eyes and handed the alpha a few of his bags before he grabbed the rest that belonged to Alfred and began to walk to where he believed was the entrance to the school.

Alfred grabbed some more stuff and quickly closed and locked his door, running after Arthur. The omega was going in the right direction after all. They walked through the parking lot and darkened school grounds, straight to Alfred's room.

There wasn't much exchanged as they walked, but Arthur kept yawning, feeling very tired the whole walk there. Alfred felt bad, but he couldn't drop everything to pick Arthur up at the moment. In another situation, he definitely would've.

Finally, they made it outside Alfred's dorm.

"You can just set the bags by the closet," Alfred mumbled, trying to stay quiet as he pulled out his keys. He knew a few people in the hall were asleep by now and didn't want to wake them.

Alfred opened the door to his room and Arthur immediately made his way to Alfred's closet where he dumped the bags he was carrying. Alfred did the same. He then walked over to his dresser and pulled out a clean pair of boxers and one of his sleep shirts. He turned and held them out to Arthur, who took them.

"You can go change in the bathroom." Alfred nodded over to the open bathroom door. Arthur nodded and walked through, closing the door behind him.

Alfred began to change too. He kicked off his shoes, took off his shirt and his jeans (making sure to take everything out of his jeans' pocket and set it on his desk), then threw both articles of clothing onto his dirty clothes hamper leaving him in just his boxers and socks. He took off the socks too and gave them the same fate as the shirt and jeans, leaving him in just boxers. He dug around in his drawer and pulled out some plaid pajama pants, pulling them on quickly. Didn't want Arthur thinking he was improper or something. The alpha started unmaking the bed, a bit embarrassed about the Marvel covers when Arthur walked out of the bathroom.

"Hey Artie I just need to pull out an extra pillow but you can just climb..." Alfred trailed off, looking at Arthur. The shirt was, as expected, very big on him, almost completely falling off of one shoulder. It also almost completely covered the boxers he wore underneath. In his hands were Alfred's bomber jacket and his own clothes. There was a small blush on the omega's face and his scent gave off his embarrassment. Alfred chuckled.

"Artie, we've slept in the same bed before, it's fine." The alpha waved it off. Arthur nodded, but he still didn't move from his spot. Alfred sighed, walking over to the omega and taking his jacket. He draped it over the desk chair and put down Arthur's clothes by it. He began to gently tug the smaller male over to the bed, then nudged him, giving him the queue to climb in. Arthur climbed in with his back to Alfred, but he still saw the pink on the omega's ears.

He chuckled again, walking over to his closet and pulling out an extra pillow for when Matthias sleeps over on study nights.

He set it on the bed and jumped in, making Arthur squeak as he flew up then back onto the bed with a huff.

Alfred smiled and had his arms wide open.

"Come on in Sweetie."

Arthur had an unamused look on his face. He rolled his eyes but scooted over to Alfred's arms anyway.

He was immediately enveloped in a hug of warmth and nice alpha smells. Arthur's nose was right by Alfred's neck and he freely took in the scent, almost wanting to get drunk off it.

"Night Artie."

"Hm." Arthur hummed. Alfred pulled back a bit to turn off his lamp, then went right back to hugging Arthur.

* * *

Alfred woke up bleary-eyed, unsure why.

He moaned and rubbed his hand over his face, looking around his room. He reached for his glasses and put them on to see the time on his alarm clock.

 _1:30 am_

"What the fuck?" He groaned, looking around.

The weight on his arm brought him back to reality.

Alfred looked down and saw Arthur on his arm, sleeping. His eyebrows were furrowed but his breathing was steady.

His scent, however, was tossing and turning, never choosing between sweet or bitter. Arthur whined and turned his back to Alfred.

A sinking feeling filled the alpha as Arthur whimpered. He started shaking Arthur trying to wake him.

"Arthur? Arthur! Wake up!"

* * *

 _Arthur opened his eyes and found himself in a forest clearing._

 _He looked around, surprised. He hadn't dreamt of his clearing in years, not since..._

 _Arthur shook his head. He would not think of such things in his forest._

 _Arthur began walking around, seeing the old fairies he was friends with, elves he built toys with during the winter, and even Minty, the flying mint colored bunny who was Arthur's imaginary friend._

 _The creatures all joined him and they talked to him, though they did question why he didn't talk to them._

 _"Arthur? Why don't you speak to us?" Minty asked._

 _Arthur opened his mouth and tried to, he did, but nothing came out._

 _He tried again._

 _And again._

 _Panic drowned his thoughts and lungs, no longer allowing him to breathe or think._

 _"Arthur."_

 _The voice cut deep into his heart and he turned from his friends to see his mother. She did not at all look like the dead corpse he saw lying on the bed, no singed hair or nightgown engulfed in flames. She did not smell like burnt flesh and her eyes were not closed like they were in her room._

 _His mother looked like a goddess._ _Nothing else could describe how beautiful she looked at the moment._

 _Her blonde hair was up in a bun, with two curls of hair on either side of her face. She was smiling at Arthur, her arms open for a hug. Arthur ran over to her and cried into her white dress._

 _When had he turned into a child?_

 _He tried to speak to her but his throat closed in on itself again._

 _He looked up to his mother, scared., but he released a silent scream and pulled back. His mother looked like he did in the bedroom._

 _'What is going on?' Arthur thought, crying._

 _"You spoke, you spoke and it was not to me. Do you hate me now Arthur? Is your promise to me forgotten?" She asked._

 _Then just like that, everything was gone. Minty, his mother, the forest._

 _It was all gone._

 _He was alone, in the darkness._

 _In silence._

* * *

 _Hello dear people! I have returned!_

 _I hope you enjoyed it!_

 _So if you didn't get why Alfred woke up, it was because of Arthur's scent. Its constant changing made his nose confused and he woke up to that confusion. He didn't realize it at first because his other senses were coming back and sorta taking over for a second._

 _Let's just say Arthur may talk to Alfred rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllll soon. ;)_

 _(Maybe)_

 _:D_

 _I love you all. Thank you for reading!_


	25. Chapter 25: New Romance, Old Luck

_No One's POV:_

 _Arthur curled in on himself, sobbing. He couldn't hear himself anymore. There was nothing where he was._

 _He felt so alone. It was so dark._

 _"Arthur."_

 _The voice cut through the silence like a knife._

 _Arthur looked up, trying to find out where it came from._

 _"Arthur!"_

 _'Alfred?' The omega mouthed._

 _"Arthur hey wake up!"_

* * *

Alfred kept shaking Arthur.

There were tears running down the smaller male's face which really worried him.

"Arthur wake up!"

Arthur gasped and shot up, panting. Tears were still streaming from his eyes.

"Whoa hey, Arthur are you okay? What happened?"

Alfred gently cupped the other male's face and turned it so they could look at each other.

Arthur sniffled and pulled himself closer to Alfred, hiccups escaping his mouth.

Alfred held him close, moving his partner's face so that his nose was right by his neck, trying to send a calming scent.

Arthur breathed it in and his body slowly relaxed.

"There you go. Just calm down. You're okay." Alfred whispered.

Arthur swallowed and nodded, pressing himself closer to the alpha.

They stayed like there for a few minutes until Arthur was completely calmed down.

Alfred kissed his cheek, making Arthur smile a bit.

"You sure you're okay? Don't want to write about it or anything? Writing might help." Alfred suggested. Arthur smiled and shook his head.

"You're fine?" Alfred pressed their foreheads together, looking into Arthur's eyes.

"Mhm." Arthur hummed. Alfred smiled.

It seemed like every day they spent together, Arthur was more comfortable with Alfred. Maybe one day he'd talk.

Alfred moved away and kissed Arthur's cheek again before pulling back.

"Do you want to go back to sleep?" Alfred suggested.

Arthur nodded, covering his mouth as he yawned. Fatigue rolled off his scent in small but noticeable waves.

"Okay, let's go back to sleep."

Alfred turned off the light and put his glasses on the desk. He laid down and Arthur climbed on top of him, literally. He was on Alfred.

Alfred chuckled as Arthur settled with his head on the alpha's shoulder and wrapped his arms around the man underneath. Alfred loosely wrapped his arm around Arthur, leaning down to give him a final kiss on the head.

"Good night Arthur."

"Good night Alfred." A voice spoke in the dark, then everything was quiet again.

Alfred looked down at Arthur, but he was already knocked out.

"Holy shit."

* * *

Arthur blinked his eyes open, yawning.

His bed moved underneath him, making him look down and see Alfred's face very close to him.

Arthur blushed and hid his face in Alfred's neck.

Then he remembered what he did and jumped up, accidentally falling off the bed.

The crash woke Alfred, who looked on his chest to find Arthur gone. He sat up and looked down on the floor, seeing Arthur who was busy rubbing his backside.

"Artie you okay?!" He quickly jumped out of the bed and next to the omega, looking at him with concern.

Arthur nodded, wincing a bit as he changed his seating position.

"You sure? I can take you to the nurse's office." Alfred offered softly, cupping the omega's cheek.

Arthur blushed and looked down, nodding his head again.

Alfred smiled at him and leaned in, giving him a kiss on the cheek. Arthur smiled, looking back at Alfred.

Alfred leaned in again but stopped an inch away.

"Uh, can I kiss you?" Alfred asked.

Arthur raised an eyebrow as Alfred began to blurt out more words.

"I-I mean I _totally_ get it if you don't wanna kiss me again! I'd be pretty disappointed because our last kiss was pretty great— _amazing_ actually, a-and it was kinda my first kiss—Oh moon was it yours too?! Did I steal your first kiss without meaning to?! Stars Artie I-"

Arthur silenced him with a kiss. The alpha would have kept rambling if he didn't and he felt bad that the poor guy was embarrassing himself.

Alfred seemed to enjoy the kiss, wrapping his arm around him and bringing Arthur to his chest. Arthur wrapped his arms around Alfred's neck, bringing them that much closer.

They don't remember how they got there, but Arthur was suddenly sprawled on his back, arms still around Alfred's neck and his legs were now wrapped around the other's hips. Alfred was on top of him with his arms on either side of Arthur, hands running up and down the omega's body.

Arthur moaned when Alfred began to rub circles on his hips and Alfred growled. He liked the sound he made, and he made it because of _Alfred_. They pulled away from their kiss and Alfred looked down at Arthur, swallowing the want to bite him and mark his neck. It wasn't easy since Arthur bared his neck, face turned away while he panted, trying to regain his breath.

Then he felt Alfred move. Alfred rubbed his face in Arthur's neck, moving down. He lifted Arthur's shirt and rubbed his scent all over the omega.

He was _scenting_ him.

Arthur sat up when Alfred finished, looking at him confused. _Did Alfred...did Alfred_ scent _him? Only people who were mated or courting did that_.

Alfred looked at Arthur's confused face and swallowed. "I, Gods this is all messed up huh? I should have asked you first, asked your parents too. But, damn Arthur I, I _really_ like you. Like, a lot. Can I court you? Am I allowed to? Do I have to ask anyone because I will, hell I'd get on my knees and beg for you, I'd do whatever I have to do—I'd build you your own temple so more people could worship you."

Arthur blushed, turning his face. Alfred leaned down again and kissed Arthur's cheek, feeling the warmth of the omega's cheek on his lips.

"Whatever I gotta do Artie, I'll do it for you."

* * *

Arthur borrowed more of Alfred's clothes to wear on his way to school. Al's smallest t-shirt and a pair of his smallest sweats, but they still didn't fit Arthur that well. At least Arthur could tie the sweats' strings so they would tighten up a bit.

"You can just change into some of your clothes when you get back to your room." Alfred chuckled nervously. He didn't like thinking about Arthur _not_ wearing his clothes, especially since he looks so cute in them, but Arthur couldn't walk around his campus like that.

Arthur nodded.

They were already in Alfred's car driving to his school. "Is all your stuff in here? Like all the mall bags and arcade ones?"

Arthur nodded again, smiling reassuringly at Alfred. He looked like such a worry-wart.

"I'll help you carry everything to your room so don't worry."

Arthur motioned toward himself then touched the side of his forehead with the tips of the fingers on his right hand, holding it in a flat shape. ' _I know._ '

Alfred didn't seem to understand that one, but he still nodded. "Okay."

They parked inside the car park, Arthur flashing a student ID to the omega at the gate so in case they were looking for him they knew he was back at school. It happened once to one of the alpha students when she left campus without telling anyone and her little sibling made an uproar since he couldn't find her. Now all students check in at their dorm building just before lights out so staff knows who's here and who may be late.

"Oh, Arthur. Welcome back. Your siblings were looking for you earlier." The gatekeeper smiled.

Arthur winced. He guessed he was in a lot of trouble.

Alfred saw and grabbed his hand, rubbing it with his thumb to comfort him.

They parked and left the parking lot, bags in their arms. Alfred walked close to Arthur, which he found amusing. Alfred looked like a little puppy dog that was following him home. Cute.

They reached his room in no time and the omega opened it, finding the surprise of his life.

His siblings (minus Peter), Lovino, Feliciano, Gilbert, Lilo, and Keabetswe were all gathered in his room, looking pretty pissed. He was not sure how they all managed to cram in there but they did.

"Arthur, you have some explaining to do." Gilbert frowned. Then he sniffed. "And who is that with you?"

* * *

 _Haha, cliffhangers suck. Anyways, hey guys! Sorry it's short, the holiday season has kept me busy and such ya know._

 _The nightmares Artie has are sorta PTSD nightmares? It's not very well portrayed but basically, Arthur is reliving something from his innocent childhood (the meadow) and it's being destroyed by the trauma he experienced (watching his mother die). This is also why Arthur had a hard time talking in the dream. Subconsciously, he knows about his promise to his mother that he would not speak because she is not there, but it does not recognize the dream version of his mother, rendering him mute somewhere he could also freely talk. I'm not any type of expert in dreams or mental disorders, I'm mainly going off research and personal experiences/other people's experiences. So I apologize if some of this information I use portrays different things negatively or wrongly._

 _I mentioned scenting in the chapter! Scenting is when two people share scents. They basically rub their scents all over each other. The best way to do that is skin to skin contact. Parents scent their children before leaving somewhere, newborn babies are scented by parents so it can begin getting used to their smells, couples scent each other so other people know they're taken, the list for people scenting others goes on and on. It's not just mated or courting people who do it. This does not work well for Betas since they do not have scents or smell them. They find other ways though: bracelets, clothes, rings, so many things._

 _*insert 'Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.' meme here*_

 _So Alfred is going to start courting Arthur in the future chapters. Some things will come up about that accident Alfred had a few book years earlier (the one about why he no longer shares his room with anyone) and it may be a trigger? Just an early announcement so you can brace yourself. That comes later though. This chapter felt like a filler and also not. I try to keep all my chapters in line with the book plot but sometimes they feel like I'm just filling in time. Sigh._

 _Just a small note before we go: I am not trying to romanticize any disability in this book. Every mental disorder, physical disability, none of that. Usually when I write books, I keep the meaning underneath its skin. You really need to dig deep and pay attention to the lesson I try to portray. It may come off as romanticizing of something serious but that is not what I'm trying to do. Just something I want you to keep in mind while you read._

 _Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and happy holidays to everyone who celebrates! I'll see you all next year! ;D_


	26. Chapter 26: Approval?

_No One's POV:_

Arthur and Alfred blanked as they looked at the people in Arthur's room, Arthur feeling embarrassment creep up on him, along with some anxiety. He saw Lovino frown and sniff his scent.

" _Artù_ , where have you been? You better answer that German bastard."

Arthur looked down at his feet and kicked the floor, face red. Alfred looked down at him sadly and spoke up.

"I took Arthur out yesterday. By the time we were coming back, it was late and I was afraid I wouldn't make it before my school's curfew. Arthur suggested he sleepover at my place so we did. I told him first thing this morning I'd drive him back here so now we're here." Alfred explained, trying to ignore the heated glares sent his direction from a few of Arthur's brothers. Alfred saw Arthur sign something quickly, probably a repeat of what Alfred said.

Maeve perked up. "Oh, it's you, Alfred. Arthur told me he was going to the mall with you yesterday. I should have known. I just alerted everyone since Arthur wasn't home yet when I came to check on him last night."

"Uh yeah. It's me. You're...Maeve? Arthur's told me about you."

"He better have." She smiled.

"Yer that one alpha that was here when I came to check on him that rainy day. I recognize your scent." The eldest spoke up.

Alfred nodded, then remembered he was blind. "Ah, yeah. You're Alister correct? The oldest? Arthur has told me a lot about you."

"Good things I hope."

Alfred remembered a story Arthur wrote to him about his brother almost drowning him as a kid. "Uh...yeah. Good things."

The albino alpha in the room frowned and walked up closer to the two. He sniffed Arthur, then Alfred, and his jaw dropped.

" _Hase_! Are you still a virgin?! Why is his scent all over you?!" Gilbert demanded, growling. He might not be one of Arthur's brothers by blood, but the albino always felt a brotherly connection toward the omega and considered him one of his best friends. He didn't ever want to see his _hase_ hurt.

"Hey whoa! Buddy, I know you did _not_ just accuse me of sleeping with Artie! I-We are not like that! As I said, he slept over at my place and in my room. I let him borrow some clothes to sleep in and we went nighty-night. Are you really accusing me of having a one night stand with him?!" Alfred demanded, feeling insulted not only for himself but Arthur. _Do they think so little of him that they believe he sleeps with any alpha he meets?_

"Borrowing clothes doesn't leave this much of that person's scent on someone else," Lovino spoke up. He smelled the excessive amount of scent on Arthur too. He knew the others in the room did as well. Even Feliciano's scent, the scent belonging to a kind omega who easily made friends with everyone, was on the edge, very protective. The only one who didn't seem to have a problem was Lilo.

As soon as she recognized Alfred, she immediately walked over to him and hugged his leg. Alfred didn't want to disappoint her or ignore her so he picked her up. She really lightened the mood.

"Hey, kiddo." He smiled at her. Lilo smiled back.

Arthur smiled at Lilo too. She was so cute. Lilo looked over at Arthur and sniffed him curiously. She recognized Alfred's scent on Arthur and seemed to light up. She pointed to Alfred, then Arthur, and balled up both her hands into fists with her thumbs sticking up, then brought them together. Once the hands were together meeting fist to fist, she did a little circle as if mixing cake batter once. Arthur knew what she was asking.

' _Are you and Alfred together?_ '

Arthur looked around to the others in the room, confidence boosting a bit. He was a grown man, he could date who he wanted without the permission of his older brothers. There was nothing they could do to control his decision.

Arthur balled his right hand into a fist and bent it down at the wrist then back up.

' _Yes._ '

Arthur heard the twins squawk behind him.

"What? What happened?" Alister frowned. He hated when they did that.

"Arthur has a boyfriend." Dylan slurred. Just because he was deaf it didn't mean he couldn't talk. His speech patterns were different from when he was younger, but muscle memory helped him remember which words were coming out of his mouth and in what language since the whole family spoke more than English.

"WHAT?!"

Sweet moon.

* * *

Alfred and Arthur were sitting on Arthur's bed, being interrogated by Arthur's siblings, Gilbert, and Lovino. Feliciano took Lilo out of the room in case any curses were thrown around.

"How long have you been courting Arthur?" Maeve asked.

"Uh, yesterday? We were actually planning on telling you today." Alfred looked over at Arthur, who nodded.

"I think it's been longer actually," Lovino said. "Arthur told me how your bitchass gives him a lot of chocolate."

"I actually only started giving him chocolates because Gilbert told me he liked them. I even make sure they don't have nuts because of his nut allergy." Alfred admitted.

"Fuck, I'm the reason they got together. I better be invited to the wedding. I want to make a speech about how I'm the reason you guys are married." Gilbert demanded.

Arthur snorted, shaking his head with a smile. Alfred just laughed. "You'll have to wait for us to date first."

Gilbert smiled. Lovino sniffed, pouting a bit.

" _Artù_ , I better be invited to. If I'm not a bridesmaid I will not go." He threatened.

"Oi, stop this marriage talk _now_ ," Alister growled. "I still wanna know why my _bràthair_ is drenched in this alpha's scent."

"Oh, I can explain that," Alfred said. "See, Artie had a bad dream so I kinda helped comfort him when he woke up and we fell asleep together on the bed. Then when we woke up, I asked him if he was okay with me courting him and I scented him to make it official that I was courting him."

Arthur was signing beside Alfred, explaining the situation to his deaf brothers. They still hadn't gotten any hearing aids from the school which was worrying.

The brothers frowned, but Maeve squealed. "Artie I so call Maid of Honour! Alfred, we must get together over a cuppa and talk more. I would like to know more about the alpha my big brother is being courted by."

"Sure, I'd love to get to know you and your family more as well." Alfred smiled.

' _Well, that's already one sibling approving._ ' Arthur gave a small smile, signing about how Alfred wanted to get to know them more.

* * *

Dylan and the twins looked at each other. Connor broke the stare first to look at Arthur.

He remembered when he was 7, he and Seamus had a big fight and wouldn't talk to each other for days. They avoided each other and even slept in separate rooms. Seamus stayed with Dylan and Alister and Connor stayed with Arthur, who was only 6 at the time. His omega brother did not know what was going on, just that he and Seamus weren't talking. Every night, Arthur would cuddle up next to him on the bed, reassuring him everything would be fine and that Seamus would talk to him again so there was nothing to be sad about. He'd smile and comfort his brother, even though the week before Connor and Seamus made him cry and took away his toys. Arthur was always full of unconditional love toward everyone, even if at times he acted like he didn't care.

Connor looked between the alpha and his little brother, seeing how Alfred looked at Arthur like he was the most amazing thing in the world, a look full of what he can only describe as _love_ , when Arthur wasn't looking. The alpha seemed to really be in love with Arthur (even if he didn't know it). That was all Connor ever wanted for his little brother, who dried his tears those nights they slept in the same bed and let him use his favorite stuffed bunny to cuddle with for comfort. Who no matter how much they teased and made fun of, still went to them when he needed help and gave help when they asked him. Who saw something he refuses to speak about and is the reason he doesn't speak at all.

Arthur deserved love from an alpha who he loved back.

Connor walked over to Arthur and grabbed his shoulder, looking him right in the eyes. He looked at Alfred and nodded toward Arthur.

"Take care of him." He spoke slowly.

Alfred nodded, blurting something he didn't hear. He looked to Arthur, who translated.

' _Thank you._ '

Connor smiled, nodded, then went back to where he was standing before.

 _Two siblings down._

* * *

Dylan and Seamus stared incredulously at Connor, not knowing what on earth possessed him to accept Alfred like that.

Connor saw their faces and smiled, nodding. He began to sign something to them which surprised the older brothers.

"Arthur deserves to be happy. We should let him get courted. Look at him. He is smiling. When did Arthur last smile like that?"

Dylan looked at Arthur, who was signing on Alister's hand, and saw that he had a smile. Alfred was talking to Gilbert, Maeve, and Lovino, who seemed to warm up to him, while Lilo sat on his lap happily. Seamus looked over then at his feet.

He took a deep breath and looked at his twin. Connor was the closest brother to Arthur. The others thought it was Dylan or Maeve but he knew the truth. Ever since the fight they had twelve years ago, Arthur and Connor had been stuck together for everything. Even on 'Twin Adventures', days supposed to be only about them, Connor somehow got Arthur involved in them. He got jealous sometimes knowing his twin was closer to someone else, but that wasn't the time to be angry. Seamus knew that when Connor really trusted something, it was worth it. And Seamus trusted Connor.

Dylan looked at Seamus and the two brothers nodded, both walking over to Alfred. He stopped his conversation with the other three to greet them, giving them the salute. It was a simple sign but they were impressed nonetheless.

"Watch over Arthur," Dylan spoke.

"Treat him good." Seamus chuckled.

Alfred nodded his head vigorously.

 _Two more down._

 _One to go._

* * *

Alister couldn't believe his ears.

' _Did Seamus and Dylan really give Alfred approval?!_ '

It seemed he was the only one with common sense left.

Arthur was signing to him things he loved about Alfred and how he wasn't a bad alpha, but Alister wasn't completely convinced.

"Fine. Alfred, you wanna date my wee _bràthair_ , you have to do something for me." Alister spoke up, frowning. Arthur dropped his hand, most likely shocked.

"Yeah, fine sure. What is it?"

* * *

 _And I'm ending it here. Haha sorry for the cliffhanger guys, but I hope you still enjoyed the chapter! :3_

 _Anyway, Alfred is meeting the family. How nice right? What will Alister want him to do I wonder? ;)_

 _Some quick translations:  
Italian-_ _Artù-Arthur, it makes sense that Lovino would call him something in his mother tongue seeing how close I made them_ _  
German-_ _Hase-Rabbit, I dunno I just feel like everyone would call him 'rabbit' since it's sorta a common nickname yeah? And in their language it's like, personal :)_ _  
Scottish Gaelic-_ _bràthair-Brother, okay this is obvious_

 _To explain the language thing, well, since the family is pretty much from all over the British Isles in this thing, I would expect them to speak all their native tongues. It didn't sit right with me not making them be able to do that. I'm a bilingual myself and I can't imagine_ never _speaking my native tongue. Hell, English is my second language! I just know how to speak it so well because I've gone to school here my whole life! Expect more languages in future chapters._

 _Speaking of...speaking, deaf people are not technically mute. They do talk. And since the boys used to be able to hear before the accident and spoke all the time, that muscle memory is there. It can help with the way things are pronounced, though since they don't have hearing aids, they can't really hear what they're saying, just feeling the vibrations of their voices. (If I got any of this wrong can someone please PM me? I do not want to give away false information.)_

 _Well, Connor and Arthur sure are close! That fight Seamus and Connor had was a bit personal._ _I based it off history kinda? Mainly the Ireland and Northern Ireland War. It's very loose, don't take it seriously. Basically, I and NI had a religious and political disagreement with the rest of Great Britain and after shenanigans happened, I and NI were two different countries. I watched a video, I'll put a link to it down here._

 _So now we're back to the whole courting thing. There is some traditional stuff about needing to impress the family and junk but I'll talk about it later._

 _Thanks for reading! Apologiese for any writing mistakes!_

 _Here's the video!:  
/watch?v=dCJMQgfHXNI  
_


	27. Chapter 27: Ye Ol' Courting

_No One's POV:_

Alister was not having it. Sure, this alpha seemed nice enough, but Alister was not going to warm up to him as easily as the rest. Bloody traitors, the lot of em. He was going to make sure this alpha has what it takes to court his wee _bràthair_ or else that'd be the end of it.

"Alfred was it?"

"Yes."

"Walk with me."

Alister stood up and made his way toward the door. Arthur's room and the hallway had different scents so finding the door was easy. He heard the shuffling of footsteps behind him and Alister sighed, taking his collapsable cane from his hoodie pocket.

He had taken to wearing hoodies more often because of the weather and the large pocket held his cane. It was very practical. Amazing idea to whoever decided to design hoodies like that. Best thing to graze the fashion world. (No doubt Francis would be having a cow if he heard him at the moment.)

They made their way toward the end of the hallway, where the scent of alpha wouldn't disturb as many omegas, before stopping. Alister held a hand out and Alfred took it in a firm handshake.

"Alister Scott Kirkland. 'M the eldest Kirkland kid and I take care of all my siblings. If ya wanna court wee Arie, ya need to prove something to me."

"I'll do whatever it takes." Alfred's voice held a promise.

Okay, Alister was somewhat impressed. But he still had more to do to gain his approval.

"Tell me, Alfred, ya got any omegas in yer family?" Alister asked.

"My younger twin Matthew and my cousin Francis. I know they can take care of themselves but I'm used to being just behind them in case I have to step in. Franny's older than me too, and he had an older alpha sibling to watch his back, an older alpha sister actually, but I always had this sense to protect my family, no matter who they were and who's much older. I'm protective of my baby brother too and he's an alpha like us."

Alister raised an eyebrow at the mention of his omega cousin. "Are ya talking about Francis Bonnefoy?"

"Yeah. He's your paired, right? I remember you two came once that day it rained to see how Arthur was doing."

"Aye," Alister mumbled. "he is. He's pretty great." (Alister will deny that he blushed, he _doesn't_ blush!)

Alister was stunned. This was the ' _petite Alfred_ ' whom Francis gushed about constantly? This guy was the one who had a dark past?

Alister glowered. "So, tell me, Alfred, how long was he in the hospital for?"

"What?"

"Yer old roommate, the one ya fought. How long was he in the hospital for?"

There was a deafening silence in the hallway. Alfred's scent was jumping around until finally landing on a polish remover scent. Confusion rang in Alfred's voice as he spoke.

"Three months. How did you-"

"I don't think that matters now." Alister cut him off. "I just want ya to know I have something over yer head. One misstep and I will tell Arthur. And trust me, Arthur does not take kindly to alphas who fight, no matter if they used to or still do. The only exception has been Gilbert, but Gilbert was once. From what I heard, it was a pass time for yu."

* * *

Alfred was shocked at what he was hearing.

 _No one_ outside of Alfred's family knew about his fighting streak. It wasn't something Alfred was proud of, but he did it anyway and you can't change the past.

The situation with his roommate though, that was different. A whole other story. _Yes_ , Alfred did fight him, but it wasn't like his street fights. The street fights didn't allow weapons, _Alfred's roomie had one_.

"Look, Alister, I don't know what you think you know, but it's more complicated than that. My old roomie was-"

"Alfred, consider for a second that I don care about yer past. We all have something in our lives we'd rather forget." The older man sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Just know I have something above yah, so if yu ever hurt my wee _bràthair_ , I won't be afraid to let something slip to him and the press."

"Yeah," Alfred whispered. He'd never been blackmailed to this extent before. Sure there were times Matt blackmailed him into doing chores and Francis threatened to reveal his weird phases (the ' _fedora phase_ ' was one of the worst) but that was about it.

Alister sighed again. "Do ya know old courting rituals, Alfred?"

"Um, sorta? My family is somewhat traditional but it's more modernized."

"I have Welsh heritage in my blood. We all do, even Artie. In yee ol' Wales, they used to do 'spooning'. Now I know yer thinking of that cuddling shit but that's not what I'm talking about. How good are yer carpenter skills Alfred?"

"Pretty good." Alfred shrugged. He aced woodshop, that has to count for something.

"I know what yer gonna do. See this 'spooning' is different. Back then, alphas would carve 'lovespoons' out of wood, glamour them up but not too much that they can't be used, then present them as a courting gift. I'm sure yu've already given Arthur other gifts, so make this spoon for me. If it's good, I'll let ya court him. If not, I won't. The threat of the press only hangs over yeh if and when yu and Arthur are still dating."

Alfred swallowed. "Okay. I'll do my best, er..."

"Alister is fine."

"Alright. I'll do my best Alister."

* * *

They returned to the room and Arthur looked at Alfred worriedly. He wasn't sure what his brother said or did, but Alfred seemed a bit paler than before he and Alister walked out.

Arthur stood and walked over to him, checking his forehead. There was no fever so the only thing he could think of was Alister threatening him and scaring him half to death. It was no secret that his brothers are protective. Arthur pulled his hand back and signed to him. He pointed at the alpha then signed 'o' then 'k' to him.

"Yeah, I am." Alfred nodded. (The deaf brothers were impressed he understood.)

Arthur smiled and hugged him. Alfred hugged him back, a little tighter. Alister's threat loomed over him, but he didn't want it to affect Arthur.

"So what does the oldest bitch want you to do?" Lovino asked.

"Oh, he-"

"It's a secret." Alister interrupted. Alfred looked at Alister and sighed.

"Can I at least tell Arthur?"

Alister thought about it then nodded. Alfred gently took the omega's hand and walked with him outside. They went to the end of the hallway where Alfred was standing earlier with Alister and looked back down at the curious omega.

"Arthur, what is Welsh 'lovespoon'-ing?" He asked, looking away embarrassed.

Arthur began to giggle. ' _A_ lovespoon _? Alister is making Alfred build a lovespoon? He's being quite traditional._ '

"Ah hey! Don't you laugh! Alister is making me make it for _him_ , not you." Alfred pouted. Arthur laughed some more.

' _And it's for_ Alister _?! This got better!_ '

"Artie," Alfred whined, resting his head on top of the omega's shoulder as he pulled him closer by the waist. Arthur stopped laughing (with some trouble) and ran his fingers through Alfred's hair.

"You'll help me right?" Alfred pouted, nuzzling his face in Arthur's neck. Arthur hummed in agreement.

 _-3 days later-_

Alfred looked at the final spoon from the ones he had been carving for the past 7 hours.

After some research and help from Arthur, Alfred made a design for a 'lovespoon' for Alister.

Turned out Alister was also a fan of _Harry Potter_ and was a Slytherin. Alfred found that really cool and designed the spoon like that.

The inside of the bowl of the spoon was left alone, but the outside had a carving of the Slytherin house's coat of arms. The handle was carved in the shape of a snake and had the design of one as well.

It was the best one from the seven he made so he took it, going to show it to his old teacher who let him use the workshop. His old woodshop teacher knew him really well and trusted him with the tools so he had been working there for the full day even when there was a class.

Occasionally, the woodshop teacher, Mrs. Mosely, would walk by and see how he was doing, giving small tips to help him out. The beta teacher was really nice about this. He knew she had worked hard to get her omega husband's hand and was a big supporter of love, so her giving him a place to work was nothing if not part of her personality.

She did the same thing with a few alpha boys when Alfred was in her class a few years back so Alfred assumed this was normal for her. The two spent their lunch talking about it.

After knocking on her office door and receiving the come in, Alfred proudly showed her his spoon.

"That's really great Alfred! I'm sure your omega's brother will love it." She smiled.

They had also talked about Alfred's predicament during lunch. His old woodshop teacher found it hilarious and almost choked on her sandwich laugh.

"Thank you, Mrs. Mosely. I'm off t the art room now to paint it. Thank you for everything!"

"No problem Alfred. Hey, can I use your other spoons for examples in class? I think I'll make them this year's final project."

Every year, the woodshop teacher changed final project topics to keep things spiced up in class. During Alfred's year, the final project was a swingset. They could design it however they wanted. A lot of people did the regular benches or an actual swingset but Alfred decided that was too mediocre and built a wooden boat swing set. The one he built was more of a baby cradle but he got a lot of points for creativity and had the highest grade in the class. Everyone loved it.

"Sure! I'd love to see what they come up with."

"Great. I'll see you around then Alfred."

"Yes ma'am. Bye!"

Alfred made his way to the art room which was on the other side of the school. As soon as he walked in, he saw Ludwig and his boyfriend Feliciano. At the other side of the room were Antonio and Lovino. And at his desk was the art teacher Mr. Simoni. The teacher looked up when he entered and gave him a small nod before returning to his book about Michaelangelo, the famous Renaissance guy.

Lovino was sculpting something with the clay and Feliciano was painting Ludwig.

Feliciano saw him come in and gave a small wave before continuing to paint the broodish alpha. Ludwig was able to look at Alfred and give him a quick nod with his 'The Thinker' pose then went back to being still for his omega.

"Hey Toni, hello Lovino." Alfred grabbed their attention as he walked toward them. They were where the small paints and paintbrushes were located.

"Arthur's bastard." Lovino nodded.

" _Hola Alfredo! Que pasa?_ " Antonio and he did a small handshake that ended with a bro hug.

" _Nada, nada. Nomas vine a pintar halgo._ " Alfred shrugged, holding up the spoon.

"What's that?" Antonio asked, reverting to English.

"The thing I have to make for Arthur's brother so he'll let me court Arthur."

"Cool." Antonio nodded.

"What are you making Lovino?" Alfred asked.

"Something," Lovino responded hotly.

"Okay, have fun."

Alfred grabbed the gold, green, black, and silver paints and paint brushes with fine points and walked over to a work table. He pulled out his earbuds and phone and started playing some music to give him some background noise.

The painting was excruciating. Alfred was never good at painting but he promised himself he would be the one doing everything, no one else was going to do it. He'd accept tips here and there but he was not going to let anyone else touch his work.

About an hour had past when a familiar scent filled his nose and Alfred looked up seeing Francis. His cousin was a frequent visitor to the art room so it was no surprise to see him. Arthur had texted him saying he and a few others were busy the full day since they had to study for midterms so Alfred couldn't go over. (Luckily he wasn't bored and had something to take up his time!) Alfred guessed the situation was the same for Franny.

That also must've been why Lovino and Feliciano were here. The art rooms must be packed in their school. Alfred's midterms already passed so he didn't have to worry about class.

"Franny." Alfred waved his cousin over and took out his earbuds to talk to him. Francis was one of those enforcers of "both earbuds off" and after he broke them once when Alfred wasn't listening, Alfred never crossed his cousin again.

" _Bonjour_ , Alfred!" The omega smiled and kissed his cousin's cheeks. It was a French thing. Alfred didn't question it.

"Hey Franny, am I painting this okay?" Alfred asked, looking down at his spoon. He already had the first coat but he wanted to know if it looked good.

Francis studied his work and nodded.

" _Oui, merveilleux._ "

Alfred smiled relieved. "Thanks."

Time to finish the last few coats then get ready to present it to Alister.

Moons, was he scared. Very scared.

But he was going to do it.

 _Do it for Arthur._

* * *

 _Hey everyone. I'm ending the chapter here! I hope you enjoyed it. Please tell me if you do. I love reading your comments, they're so fun. :) (Any mention of pictures can be seen on the Wattpad version of the book. If you would like to see those pictures just visit my wattpad profile and click on the book, go to this chapter, and you'll see them!)_

 _There's a lot of things I need to cover so I'm going to jump right into it._

 _First off, I don't think I've mentioned her before but Francis has an older sister. The country playing her in Monaco. I now that France is older than her but I wanted to include her and making her the older sister seemed better in my mind._

 _Lovespoons. Good ol' Welsh lovespoons. They were in other parts of Europe too! Around the 17th century. A suitor would carve a lovespoon for the woman he fancied and would present it to the woman's father so he saw she going to be in good hands capable of woodwork and supporting her. If it sucked, the dad would deny him for the daughter. Different symbols meant different things like a heart meant 'love' and a lock meant 'security'. These days they're mainly just decoration. In Norway, they connected lovespoons and made them from a single piece of wood to symbolize a linkage of their marriage._

 _Alfred's roommate/fight streak is a complicated topic. I will go into much more detail later but for now, I need you all to know that Alfred did something ILLEGAL and was UNDERAGE when he did it. His roommate did something ILLEGAL and was NOT UNDERAGE when he did it but it was still really fucked up. Like I said before, it may be a trigger to some people once I put it up but I will make sure to tell you all what the trigger is before I do._

 _Mrs. Mosely. If any of you watched Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide you may recognize the name. This is Moze's last name! :D Bringing some childhood spirit in here._

 _Alfred's project is something I saw online while looking at woodshop projects. It's really cool and I found a pic of the project to show you guys! I hope you guys find it as cool as me. :3_

 _Mr. Simoni. I don't know how many of you know this but Michaelangelo's full name is Michelangelo di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni! I would imagine the teacher is some sort of descendant of Michaelangelo but I'll leave that up to you guys._

 _Translations:_  
 _Scottish Gaelic-bràthair-Brother_  
 _French-petite-small_  
 _French-Bonjour-Hello_  
 _French-Oui, merveilleux.-Yes, marvelous._  
 _Spanish- Hola Alfredo! Que pasa?-Hey Alfred! What's up?_  
 _Spanish-Nada, nada. Nomas vine a pintar halgo.-Nothing, nothing. I just came to paint something._

 _That's all for today! Thank you for reading everyone! :D_


	28. Chapter 28: Flower Language

_No One's POV:_

A red rose symbolizes _love_.

A pink rose symbolizes _friendship_.

A yellow rose symbolizes _happiness_.

An orange rose symbolizes _desire_.

A white rose symbolizes _purity_.

A cream rose symbolizes _gratitude_.

A green rose symbolizes _growth_.

Did no one else find it strange that colors determine a meaning? Why can't a green rose symbolize _love_? Why can't pink be _desire_?

 _Why does a thornless rose symbolize love at first sight?_

Arthur had had these questions for a long, long time. The question only expanded further when his teacher gave the newest English assignment: to write a story about the rose color they were assigned.

Arthur, (un)lucky as he was, was not assigned a color like Lovino (he got pink). His teacher wanted to test his limits and assigned him something else.

Arthur had to write a story about why a thornless rose symbolized love at first sight.

He wanted to know, first, why? Who came up with the idea that roses and their colors meant something? Who thought a flower was a good way to express love or joy or hatred?

He remembered stories from his mother about the Moon Goddess and her lover the Star God. He created a flower, the rose, pure white like the light of his love to symbolize her purity from the world.

Did the Star God, _Astéri_ , create the other roses as well? Did he create flowers and the world for his love?

Wow, Arthur really needed to touch up on his religious studies.

Arthur sat at his desk miserably. He didn't know what to write about for this story. He wasn't sure where to start! How do you start writing about a flower's meaning when you don't understand why it has a meaning?

Maybe...maybe he didn't _have_ to know. Maybe it was just a known thing. No different than the knowledge of the sky being blue and that he was an omega.

It was just something that was known.

A thornless rose was love at first sight, and Alfred gave him a thornless rose that day in the gazebo.

Arthur had kept the flower, now withered and dry, in the same drawer that he kept the sticky notes in. Each sticky note was numbered at the bottom so when he reread them, he'd know the exact order of their conversation. (Was that weird? It didn't feel weird. It was like rereading texts but on paper.)

Did Alfred know the meaning of thornless roses? Was he aware of the message he gave Arthur?

Oh look at that, his anxiety is back. Yay.

"Arthur?" There was a knock on the omega's door and he looked up, unsure who it was. He stood up and walked over to it, surprised to see Dylan. He opened the door further and brought him in, noticing the tech in his ears.

The school finally got more hearing aids, enough for every student that needed them. That meant Feliciano had some too!

Arthur squealed and made noises, jumping when he saw Dylan's hearing aids. Dylan laughed.

"I can hear now. Been too long. Voice sounds strange." He spoke in fragmented English, and in a bit of his old accent.

The alpha was right. It had been months since his old hearing aids broke. They hadn't been replaced fast enough.

Arthur realized he was speaking English and gave his brother a questioning glance. Arthur knew he preferred speaking Welsh once he had hearing aids, but English was special to them since their mother was Scottish-English, unlike their Irish-Welsh father.

"Practicing." He slurred. Ah, muscle memory practice. Arthur nodded.

Dylan looked over at the homework Arthur left behind and raised an eyebrow. "Yer not done?"

Arthur shook his head and dragged his brother over to look at his homework. _Just like old times..._

Dylan looked at the assignment and nodded. "Just write a story. Yer good at that."

Arthur nodded but had a pout. He made a "bent-V" in both hands, using the 'v' sign but the tops of both fingers were somewhat curled down. His right hand moved from beside his chin to hit the side of his left hand. The left hand did not move.

" _It's hard._ " He whined.

Dylan rolled his eyes. He pointed at Arthur then he slapped an "L" sign on his right hand up against your upper left chest area.

" _You're just lazy._ " The elder remarked.

Arthur did a fake, offended gasp. He made the 'd' on his right hand and tapped his nose with the pointer finger.

" _Dick._ " Arthur stuck his tongue out.

Dylan narrowed his eyes.

"You're grounded." He spoke.

Arthur glared back.

" _No, I'm not._ " He just signed 'no' but the message was in his eyes.

"Yes, ya are. No...Alfred! Nuh uh. He'll come with me if he comes." Dylan said proudly.

Arthur gawked at him. He was punishing him by taking his boyfriend away?! Arthur wasn't sure how to feel about it so he settled on mad.

It seemed the world was tormenting him because Alfred came. He knocked on the door, stepping in. There was something in his hands that Arthur couldn't see before it got shoved into his pocket.

"Hey, Artie. Uh, Dylan yeah? Hi. Cool...um, hearing aids." Alfred nodded, suddenly looking tense. Arthur took a step toward him but Dylan stopped him.

"Nuh uh. Arthur's not done with homework. And he's grounded. You come with me." Dylan said, looking at Arthur pointedly. Arthur glared back but looked at Alfred with a sad nod.

"Oh, no big deal. I don't want to distract Artie from his homework. We can go." Alfred nodded.

"Great." Dylan started walking over to him but Arthur stopped his brother using his secret weapon. They were all suckers to his puppy eyes, except for Alister. Dylan groaned.

"Just a greeting," Dylan mumbled. "I'll be outside."

Dylan stepped out and Arthur took that opportunity to hug Alfred. Alfred laughed and lifted him off the floor a bit so they were face to face. Arthur gently cupped Alfred's face and leaned in, giving him a kiss. Alfred kissed back, enjoying the way Arthur's lips felt on his.

They hadn't gone far in their kissing or touching, but Alfred felt no rush. He knew Arthur didn't either. Just slow, romantic kisses were good for them now.

The need for air became a problem and Arthur pulled back, smiling down at Alfred as his thumb drifted over his alpha's lips. Alfred chuckled.

"Miss me, Beautiful?" He asked, leaning in until their noses bumped. Arthur's smile lit up his heart. "I missed you too."

"Can ya please stop smelling like yas gonna bang?! Alfred les go so he can work!" Dylan yelled into the room.

Alfred put Arthur down and gave him a kiss on his cheek. "I'll see you later, Beautiful."

Dylan started dragging Alfred away, huffing from annoyance. Arthur watched with a smile, then looked back to his homework.

He knew what to write now.

* * *

Alfred followed Dylan as he was taken out of the omega building and toward another one. Alfred guessed it was the alpha building by the smell coming from it. He looked around as he entered, seeing a lot of alphas from different age ranges, but none looked less than 13. Dylan started taking him to an elevator but Alfred managed to loosen his hold, frowning.

"Hey wait, man! I can't go in the elevator are you crazy?" Alfred looked dumbfounded. Dylan stared questionably.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Well," Alfred began awkwardly. "what floor is your room on? I'll use the stairs. Besides, what if someone else needs to use it? They'd need it more than me."

Dylan shook his head. "It's fine. Promise."

Alfred looked skeptical, but after a quick glance around the room, he saw no one coming toward the elevator. The doors opened and he stepped in with Dylan.

* * *

Dylan's room was not what Alfred expected. It had posters covering the wall, there was a keyboard in the corner, and the bed was a mess.

"Sorry, I have been busy." Dylan shrugged. He sat on the bed and motioned for Alfred to sit at the desk chair. "Alfred, how much do you love my brother?"

Ah, the interview. Alfred expected this from all the siblings.

"I...gee, how do I explain it?" Alfred chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Artie is the best to ever happen to me. I admit I originally didn't want to do the volunteer stuff, but after meeting Arthur? I, wow. Arthur is the best guy ever, I'm so lucky he chose me. He could have had any other alpha but he let me court him. He's just...I really love him." In the end, Alfred had a goofy smile on his face.

Dylan nodded. "What if Arthur chose never to speak to you? What if he goes the rest of his life mute?"

"Then I'll stand by his decision. It's Artie's choice whether or not he wants to speak to me, I wouldn't make him do something he didn't want to do." Alfred said seriously.

Dylan raised an eyebrow. "Does that value stand for everything?"

Alfred bristled, a little insulted, but nodded all the same. "Yes, it counts for _everything_."

Dylan smiled. "You're a great guy, Alfred. Take care of Arthur."

"I will." Alfred nodded.

* * *

Arthur finished his short story when Alfred and Dylan came back a few hours later.

They both seemed to be in good moods and that made Arthur happy. He wanted his family and boyfriend to get along.

"Hey, Artie." Alfred pecked him on the lips and Arthur smiled.

"Ugh no PDA in front of me please." Dylan wrinkled his nose.

Arthur rolled his eyes at his brother and held up his story.

"You want me to read it?" Dylan guessed. Arthur nodded.

"Fine."

Arthur smiled, then grabbed Alfred's hand and began walking out of his room.

"Hey! Ya can't just leave me to-"

Arthur started sprinting, tugging Alfred with him. The alpha understood and stopped Arthur for a moment.

"Get on my back!" Alfred smiled. Arthur jumped on it and Alfred ran off both laughing. Dylan was left in the dust, holding Arthur's homework.

"Might as well read it." Dylan glared at the doorway and sat on Arthur's bed, starting to read.

* * *

 _Um...Hey everyone. First and foremost I want to sincerely apologize for my absence. See, I use a computer oned by my school to update here on Wattpad and Fanfic but the district blocked the websites from access and I still haven't found a way to override the block to continue working on them on the computer. (For some reason Archive hasn't been blocked yet so here's to hoping it never will!) I downloaded both apps on my phone but I type faster on a computer than on my phone so I've been writing slower. I have a computer at home but it's not a portable one, it's a desktop, so my writing time is more limited because I usually get home late. As I said, I'm very sorry for being so late on this update. This was originally going to go up yesterday but it was my cousin's birthday so we were celebrating._

 _Anyway, this has been a long note. I hope you enjoyed the chapter._

 _I may or may not post Arthur's story up, so if I don't I'll just say he wrote an insert fanfic of himself and Alfred._

 _So for the flower language thing, I'm not ashamed to admit that I've had the same questions. I always wondered why red meant love and orange desire and all that. The conclusion Arthur came up with was my own. It's just something known. That's all._

 _So Alfred has gotten approval from most of the brothers. Seamus agreed because Connor did (he trusts Conner's intuition), Alister still needs his spoon, Dylan (after this chapter) likes him, Maeve liked him immediately, and Peter doesn't know him yet so Peter has no opinion yet either. Maybe Peter will meet him, maybe not. Who knows? ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)_

 _Have a great day everyone and I hope you enjoyed the chapter!_


	29. Chapter 29: Wait!

_Mature themes ahead guys, you've been warned! (Nothing really happens though)_

* * *

 _No One's POV:_

Alfred ran out to the garden with Arthur on his back, straight to the gazebo from before. He hadn't been there since the day Arthur almost spoke to him.

Then the memory from a few days ago crashed into his mind too. Arthur had spoken to him. He said goodnight to him.

It was wishful thinking, but maybe one day he'd even say he loved him.

He stepped inside and Arthur got off his back, looking around. Alfred smiled sheepishly. "Surprise."

While Arthur was doing homework, Dylan helped Alfred deck the gazebo with blankets, pillows, and fairy lights so it would be comfortable. (They even had a blow-up mattress!) Alfred also brought his laptop (fully charged) and set in the middle of everything.

Arthur looked at everything then up at Alfred, who was rubbing the back of his head. "I wanted to do a little surprise for you. Dylan helped me set this up while you were finishing your homework. I downloaded a whole bunch of movies we talked about that you wanted to see on the laptop and, well, thought maybe we could have a movie date?"

Arthur smiled and dragged Alfred over to the small campsite to inspect it further. The computer was there of course, but also a microwave and a box full of sweets, at least, that's what Arthur saw when he peeked into them.

"I really like how this place is like an actual building with solid walls and stuff because it's supposed to get windy and maybe rain. And there are electricity plugs over there that I can plug the cords into if needed. I got this extension cord and this multi-plug too just in case. Oh! And if it gets super cold, I brought a room heater and there's an electronic heating blanket in this pile. Are you cold now? I can turn it on." Alfred rambled as he showed Arthur everything he brought. He had been planning this for a while, it seemed.

Arthur was giggling from behind his fist and shook his head.

"You sure?" Alfred tilted his head slightly. Arthur nodded. He looked down at the small bed and hummed, wanting to put some flare on it. He looked over at Alfred and nodded down to the bed.

"Huh? Oh, you wanna spice it up? Go ahead. I'll make some popcorn and start setting up a movie for us."

Arthur went right on it. This would be one of Arthur's biggest nest projects. It is important that when courting, an omega must make a nest that both they and their alpha find comfortable so they know what their future nest looks like during mating in the omega's heat and after.

He moved a pillow there, angled a blanket differently, almost completely got rid of something once but he changed it to another part of the makeshift nest instead. When he finished, he stood and looked at his handiwork.

"Wow, it looks super comfy. Better than how Dylan and I arranged it." Alfred commented, looking at the bed. Arthur beamed, very prideful at the moment.

"Let's jump in!"

And Alfred just jumped... Onto everything... Messing it up...

 _Bloody Wanker_

Arthur only gave an annoyed huff but laid down beside Alfred.

"What movie do you wanna watch first? I have ' _The Notebook_ ', ' _Pride and Prejudice_ ', ' _A Walk to Remember_ ', ' _Dirty Dancing_ ', ' _The Princess Bride_ ', ' _Breakfast at Tiffany's_ '..." Alfred listed more movies, most under the romance genre.

Arthur was surprised at the titles. Those were some of his favorite movies, a few being movies he'd never seen before but had told Alfred he wanted to see as well in one of their late night chats through text before they decided to start courting. Hell, it was one of the first things Arthur talked to Alfred about. He was surprised and touched he remembered all that.

Arthur looked at the titles and pointed to one Alfred passed his mouse over.

' _Moulin Rouge_ '

"Huh, I've never seen that one. Is it good?" Alfred asked. Arthur nodded enthusiastically. "Well, let's put it on then."

* * *

No, there is nothing wrong with ugly-crying while "Come What May" is playing. Nothing at all.

There is something wrong, however, if you don't laugh at the scene that comes after.

 _The gun got thrown out of the window and hit the fucking Eiffel Tower, that shit's hilarious._

Arthur giggled at that while tucked under Alfred's arm, still sniffling a bit from the song. Alfred also had some tears in his eyes. Then, _that_ scene came. Arthur was bawling all over again in Alfred's arms.

"That was a good movie," Alfred mumbled as the end credits started playing. Arthur nodded, nuzzling closer to the alpha.

Alfred was trying to get up to put a new movie but Arthur wouldn't let him. "Art."

"Hmph." The omega grumbled but didn't let go. Alfred laughed, reaching for the computer by putting his feet up in the air and having it slide down to him. "What movie do you want next?"

Arthur shrugged, looking over to Alfred and poking his chest.

"Me? You want me to choose?" Alfred asked. Arthur nodded. "Gee, I dunno. Uh, _Indiana Jones: Raiders of the Lost Ark_?"

Arthur had a confused face on, looking at Alfred's suggested movie. His scent made it clear he had no idea what Alfred was talking about.

"You don't know _Indiana Jones_?!" Alfred gawked. He loved the _Indiana Jones_ movies, how did Arthur not know about them?! Or was he doing that American thing where he assumed everyone outside the U.S. knew something that was strictly an American thing?... Probably that.

"Do you know Harrison Ford? Han Solo in the _Star Wars_ franchise?" Alfred asked. Arthur nodded. "Well, he plays Indiana Jones. It's super cool, you'll love it! And If you have any questions you can ask me, okay?"

Arthur nodded and they started watching.

Needless to say, Arthur _loved_ it! He understood why Alfred did too! It's amazing!

Alfred smiled at Arthur's shared excitement. "There are more movies if you wanna check them out with me." He suggested. Arthur nodded and they started watching more.

The light pattern of rain on the windows began to echo in the room when the best movie ( _Temple of Doom_ ) began playing. A chill swept into the room and Arthur shivered, snuggling up closer to the alpha as they watched Indi, Short Round, and Willie escapes the club in a car toward an airport and into a plane.

He loved Shorty already. He was adorable and reminded him of his kids from the daycare.

At the end of the movie, both Arthur and Alfred were starting to get a bit hungry.

"I brought microwave dinners, do you want that?" Alfred suggested.

Arthur pursed his lips and looked at his choices to see which one he'd get. He settled on chicken nuggets, mac n' cheese, and a brownie. Alfred got one with a fried chicken patty with country gravy on it, mashed potatoes, and corn.

They heated them up in the microwave and watched another movie as they ate, this time watching _The Last Crusade_.

It was getting a bit late by the time the movie finished and Alfred was growing a bit tired. Arthur noticed and put the computer away, climbing into the bed better so he can face Alfred. They both stared at each other until they started to laugh.

"Damn, Artie. Is it too early to tell you I fucking love you?" Alfred chuckled nervously, staring at Arthur.

Arthur stared back, eyes lighting up after Alfred spoke. His face was flushed and he had a large smile. Moon above, Arthur looked so beautiful.

Alfred scooted closer, wrapping his arms around Arthur's waist and pulling him closer, closing his eyes as their lips met. He rolled onto his back so Arthur was on top of him while they deepened the kiss. Arthur was straddling Alfred's waist, hands on either side of his alpha's face as he moaned.

Arthur shivered as Alfred's hands roamed his body, pushing his shirt up so his hands could freely touch his skin, and started to kiss around Alfred's neck.

"Arthur," Alfred whispered, voice shaky. Arthur looked at Alfred and noticed the alpha's face was burning.

Arthur stared in confusion until he felt it.

 _Oh shit, Alfred is hard._

They both started blushing and Arthur bit his lip, looking at Alfred curiously. To Alfred's utter surprise, Arthur slid under the covers and down to Alfred's, ah, problem.

"Artie?!" Alfred sat up and pulled Arthur up too, looking at his seriously. "Arthur Kirkland, the love of my life, I do not need you to do that for me. There is no fucking way in this whole entire world I would ever make you do that for me. We, we just started dating, okay? We can get to all this later, but not now. Yeah?"

Arthur looked down sheepishly, but Alfred lifted his face again, staring straight into his eyes. "I will never make you pleasure me if I cannot please you in return. Lay back down with me Artie. Let's go to sleep."

* * *

Arthur couldn't sleep.

He just couldn't stop staring at Alfred. The alpha stopped him from giving him pleasure. Alphas from plenty of books he's read don't usually stop that. They crave the dominance that goes with it. Having your omega pleasure means you are in charge of your omega.

That was the old way of thinking. Now, an alpha is just as attentive to their omega's needs outside of heat as inside one. Alfred is no different it seems.

He really cares about Arthur's needs and not just his own. He really was the perfect mate.

The omega smiled and closed his eyes, snuggling close to Alfred.

"I love you too, Alfred."

* * *

 _ **Hey. How's it going. So, yeah, I'm not dead! I'm still here! I just also have a fic on Archive and that's the only website my school computer lets me on, so it's the only one I can really update when I'm bored at school. I have been working on this one too though, just not as fast since I really hate doing it on my phone.**_

 _ **Anyway, sorry it's short but** **thank** **you so much for reading it. I will try very hard to update faster next time so none of you worry about me abandoning this book.**_

 _ **I have so much I need to put in here, including some...**_

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 _ **ANGSTY SHIT!**_

 _ **Yeah, so beware. Alfred's fight streak and Arthur's low tolerance for fighting will come up again, but I won't say how or when.**_

 _ **I'll see you guys next time! :D**_


	30. Chapter 30:How Not to be a Criminal

_No One's POV:_

Arthur was back in his heat room, moaning and whimpering, wishing to every god he thought of that Alfred was there with him.

The alpha in question was threatened out of joining Arthur in his heat by Arthur's brothers, Gilbert, Lovino, Michelle, and even his own family: Matthew and Francis. Arthur didn't mind it at first and had even laughed at them when it was brought up. Their relationship was still fairly young and while they were developing it quite fast, they both knew neither was comfortable with anything more intimate than a kiss.

Sure, Alfred would move down and sniff at his scent every so often and maybe place kisses on his scent glands, but it's nothing that any other couple didn't do.

They were just a normal couple and he was simply going through heat cravings.

His mother told him about them when he was younger. He was never shy about asking about his type and what it meant to be an omega. He had an omega pride to himself that his father said was rare, and also what had attracted him to Laura, Arthur's mother, in the first place.

She had this spunk that pushed all other alphas away but reeled him in.

"Alfred," He told him as they video chatted just a few days before Arthur's heat began. "sees it in you too. No doubt about it, love. I bet that's why he's so in love with you."

Arthur smiled all that night, dreams filled with a certain blue-eyed alpha that always seemed to take his breath away.

But now, he wanted that alpha with him. Arthur groaned and rolled around his nest, remembering back to the night they spent in the gazebo. How warm Alfred was, how safe he felt being in those arms, how close he was to...

And Alfred, sweet, beautiful Alfred stopped him! An alpha refusing pleasure from an omega! Simply unheard of. But it happened, and Arthur knew from that moment he could trust Alfred to not go past any limits he had, nor would he go past any of Alfred's.

Oh just thinking his name made him writhe with want. But he can't call him. He can't video chat either. He'd be too embarrassed to see him again. Why would Alfred want to see an omega like him suffering his heat alone?

* * *

Alfred really wanted to be with Arthur.

He didn't care that the omega was in heat! He needed his boyfriend there to lean on for support!

His brother and cousin were a nice second though.

"Mr. Jones-Williams, I'm sure you can recall the events from a few years back that put you in a compromising situation with the school. We had warned you, Mr. Jones, that another stunt like that could get you expelled." The headmistress stated, starring Alfred down with her cold, beta eyes.

"I do recall such a warning, yes." He nodded. His left hand was numb from holding the ice pack to his swollen eye for the second day in a row.

"Then what, pray tell, compelled you into the action you have previously done now?"

Alfred lowered his eyes in shame. "They attacked me, ma'am. As you may know, my family is famous back in the states. As such I am often followed around by paparazzi when I go out of the academy and visit the local area. I just happened to be out this day, wanting to buy a gift for the omega I am courting. These men were sent by an agency that has been trying to make me look bad for the longest time as that agency is owned by a competitor. One of them, who was a _very large_ alpha, apparently did not like that I wasn't reacting to them and he began to attack me. I panicked and did what my instinct told me to... I fought back. He had already bruised me up quite a bit before I fought back though. I was scared and not sure what I was doing when I did it and when one of the others lunged at me I...I just stepped to the side and dodged. I didn't know he would fall into the street. I couldn't even imagine that he would have fallen into the pathway of that car I…"

His voice shook as he explained what happened, his mind reliving the events with the car. Matthew took his free hand and Francis placed a hand on his shoulder, both of them giving him a reassuring squeeze.

"Is he okay?" Alfred croaked, looking up at the headmistress. She lost the cold look in her eyes that she previously had and instead had a different one Alfred was all too familiar with.

 _Pity._

He hated that look. He'd seen it too many times directed toward his parents for having a "wild son". The eldest who was supposed to be their best, but was _troubled_.

The unworthy one who should not run a company.

"I do not have a lot of information, but I was informed that the man is on his way to recovery." She told him.

Alfred visibly relaxed, but his heart was hammering in his chest.

"However, we do need to discuss how your actions affect you, Alfred, and your scholarship here." The beta rose to her feet and circled around her desk to a filing cabinet in the back. "The men from this agency wanted to press charges. Your family's lawyers stationed in London managed to clear that up and got the court to assign you community service instead. The school has taken the liberty of assigning you where you will complete these hours. Should you complete all of the hours assigned by the court in an appropriate time scale, your scholarship will remain untouched. You have been one of the best students to grace this academy Alfred, not only with sports but also in your academics. I have yet to meet someone with your intelligence. Please use that intelligence more often to refrain from getting into more problems. You graduate in two years, let's keep it that way."

* * *

Alfred looked down at the paper in his hands then back up at the building, eyes bulging. He was about tub his hand on his face but that would ruin his makeup Francis carefully put on him to hide the bruise on his face so he resisted the urge and instead clenched his fists.

"Life is shitting me." He sighed then walked in through the double doors.

The man at the reception desk looked up when he walked in and smiled. He was an omega, that much Alfred could tell from just scent.

"Hullo, are you here to see someone?" The man asked.

"Uh, well, no? I don't think so I just-I'm Alfred? Alfred F. Jones. My school said they called ahead to inform you that I will be coming today." Alfred handed the man his note from the school and he took it gently, pursing his lips.

Alfred looked around the room as he, Demitrius as the name tag suggests, looked around his desk for something. The waiting room had a lot of chairs and a few baby toys in one corner. There were magazines on the large coffee table in the center of the room. By a large metal door, there was a small library that had a lot of kids books looking like they were for first or second graders and a few more magazines, but for kids. A small t.v. was hanging from one corner of the room, currently turned off.

It reminded him of a waiting room for a doctor's office, not really for where he was going.

"Ah yes, Alfred F. Jones! My, you got yourself into quite a bit of trouble, didn't you? No worries, lad. I'll buzz you right in and Maggie will be able to tell you everything you need to know."

The door buzzed and the door opened to reveal who Alfred believed was Maggie. As he walked in, Alfred heard Demitrius give him some final words.

"Welcome to the Juvenile Youth Correctional Facility of London, Alfred."

* * *

"And finally, here we have the indoor sports and gym facility of the building." Maggie opened the door and led Alfred in from the field, considered the _outdoor_ sports and gym facility, showing him a large room with high ceilings and lights. It looked like a high school gym from back at the states.

There were a few kids, possibly 13 or 14, playing basketball on the court, laughing at each other as they pushed one kid around. He looked quite small, Alfred guessed he was possibly a beta or omega.

"Ibrahim, come here," Maggie called out. The small kid from before, Ibrahim, walked over to them, shoving his hands into his jean pockets seemingly out of habit. As he got closer, Alfred realized with a shock that he was mistaken. He was an alpha.

"Alfred, this is Ibrahim. The school thought it would be a good idea to pair you up with one of the kids here and be sort of a good influence on them, like a big buddy. Our organization loved it and we decided to pair you up with Ibrahim!" Maggie chirped away happily as the two alphas looked at each other, both suddenly aware of their situation.

"Ibrahim is new here and hasn't had much time to get to know the other kids, so we're hoping that having one friend will inspire him to have more."

Ibrahim snorted but cleared his throat to hide it. Alfred almost wanted to do the same. Maggie ignored Ibrahim's antics and clapped her hands together.

"Let's head over to the craft center so you two can get to know each other better!" Maggie started leading them away and Ibrahim followed immediately, Alfred trailing behind a bit.

The alpha looked around at everything, surprised by how much more it looked like a school than a prison, and that was speaking from experience. Took the time to study Ibrahim a bit, trying to figure out why he was there in the first place. Ibrahim looked 14, but he was pretty small. A late bloomer maybe? Was he getting picked on at his school and fight the bullies off, bringing him here?

Alfred still couldn't figure the kid out as they reached the craft center Maggie had been talking about and passed on the tour. It wasn't empty, there were different youths and teens in the room, but they were all in a group watching a Bob Ross painting tutorial.

"You two can hang out in here until it's time for Alfred to go. Next time I'll let you choose the place you want to go to." Maggie smiled happily and closed the door behind them.

There was an unmistakable sound of a lock turning and Alfred sighed. Nope, this place was just a nice looking prison.

Ibrahim stared at the kids watching Bob Ross for a few seconds before walking over to another table and sitting there, pulling out a blank sheet of paper and some colored pencils from the box on the center. Alfred followed silently, sitting beside the kid and drumming his fingers on the table rhythmically.

"How old are you?" Alfred blurted, wincing. It was the first thing he thought of! "I'm, um, 19. Gonna be 20 in July."

Ibrahim didn't spare a glance.

"I'm 13." He didn't feel the need to say more.

"So, uh, how'd you get in here?" Alfred asked, trying to fill the silence.

Ibrahim shrugged, mumbling quietly but kept drawing. It was too early for Alfred to know what.

"Huh?"

"I stole some things and got into a lot of fights." He said a bit louder.

"Oh." Alfred wracked his brain on what to say. "What did you steal?"

"Stuff from a liquor store. The owner caught me and we had a fight and then I'm here." Ibrahim shrugged again. His drawing began looking like a caged bird.

Alfred nodded. He looked around the room wistfully, imagining what it'd be like to be in a place like this.

"I was in a juvenile facility once too."

Ibrahim stopped drawing and looked over at Alfred. Alfred stared back at him, nodding. "Yeah, I know. Hard to imagine it, but I was. I was a street fighter." Alfred played around with some colored pencils and picked a few up, grabbing a paper to draw on too. "I have been in boxing since I was young and one day some kids at my rink back home convinced me to go watch a few street fights with them. I agreed, saw a few, but I wasn't interested in them. Then I saw the money they were making and only then I got into it. Really into it. I had fights every other weekend and made huge bucks behind my family's back. It all changed for me when I saw an accident in the ring."

Ibrahim nodded, listening intently as he continued to draw. Alfred appreciated it since this was something that was hard for him to talk about.

"This big guy crushed the smaller one, I mean _crushed_. All of his bones broke. At the rink we fought at, breaking any of your opponent's bones that's not on the face is considered a penalty and you get kicked out of the rink if you wrack up too many. The big guy got kicked out and the small guy, from what I heard, died at the hospital. I decided I was done with all this fighting on the side but it was too late, the media knew. My family is sorta famous back in my country so I'm well known there and stuff and yeah. The news spread and I had to a school across the goddamn ocean so the whole thing could blow over!" Alfred scoffed, looking at his drawing. He was drawing two cats, only more anime.

"One day when I was 15, I got attacked here at my school. My roommate I had was high. He was a heroin addict and I knew but never reported him, which was stupid of me. I really should have. We were four stories high-ah, American stories, not British-and he pulled a knife on me, trying to gut me with it. He was angry at me for stealing his drugs or something, but it wasn't true. Either way, I panicked and my street fighter instincts took over. He managed to slash me on my hip real deep and long before I punched him so hard he fell out the window. I didn't get into too much trouble because it was in self-defense, hell I got sent to the hospital for a while because I needed stitches, but my scholarship was put on the line. I have a sports scholarship, and if I didn't get better, I couldn't play, and I'd have to leave school. Somehow, the media back in the states found out and I was back to being labeled the troubled kid. When I went back that summer, my parents put me in a juvenile facility to 'correct me'. It was a literal prison. I would've killed for a place like this, so much better than the one over there. This place is basically like a boarding school, not a prison."

Alfred frowned as he finished the details in one of the cat's eyes, putting in some golden specks in its green eyes, then some light blue shading in the dark blue eyes of the other cat. He glanced over at Ibrahim and saw his drawing of a caged bird was basically done, he was just staring at Alfred, a mild form of horror on his face. Alfred nodded.

"I'm glad it was just the summer. I made a friend with this one guy, Allen, who was also my age. He was there because he got into a fight with his step-father. He told me his step-father hated him and was doing whatever he could to get rid of him. He was threatening him with military school, the likes. Then one day his step-dad said something about his omega, Oliver I think, and Allen snapped. Oliver's family loved Allen and took better care of him than his actual family so he was protective of them. Allen fought his step-dad and got sent to juvie for it. I think he said he was going to be there for a half-year or full one, then when he got out, he was going to live with Oliver and his family. We never kept contact after that but I hope he's in a better place. Can you imagine it though? A whole year in that place? I was only there for two months and I hated it! I always told myself that when I have the money, I'd build up my own youth center aimed toward juveniles or kids in a tough spot and do whatever I can to help them. They're just kids, man. They deserve as much help and guidance as any other child."

Alfred held up his finished drawing and showed it to Ibrahim. Ibrahim showed his to Alfred in return.

"Nice drawing," Alfred commented.

"Thank you. I like yours as well."

"Thanks."

"How would you do it?" Ibrahim asked quietly after a moment of silence.

"Huh?"

"How would you help those kids?" Ibrahim looked Alfred in the eye, not in a challenging way but in a questionable way.

"Well, a lot of those kids tend to come from homes that are of low income. I'd give them volunteer work, then pay them for it. Say a kid wants to be a nurse. She volunteers at the hospital, shows her hours, gets paid to help out at home. For homeless kids, I'd have a building just for them, a place where they can stay the night and eat breakfast in the morning, and if they want, I can even help them find jobs and pick them up so they're on their feet. Free tutors for the kids that need help in school, motivational speakers to show them they can make it no matter where they come from, anything. No discrimination of race, gender, age, sexuality, or type. These kids need help and if I have to be the one who does it then moon-dammit I will be one who does it. It's only wishful thinking right now, but I've been bringing it up to my parents who are fucking loaded so I'll see where it leads to from there."

"No discrimination of nationality either?" Ibrahim asked. Alfred blinked.

"Of course not. I know my country has been pretty horrible to immigrants but I don't condone it. My parents and family and company actually fight against all the horrible things done to immigrants. We have since the 30's I think. I have to touch up on the history."

Ibrahim looked at Alfred weirdly. "You're strange, in a good way."

Alfred smiled. "I get that a lot."

* * *

The two guys stayed in the craft area for the entire time Alfred was there, Alfred showing Ibrahim how to paint a galaxy the way Francis taught him.

 _You start by painting your canvas so you have a black canvas and let it dry for a bit so the other colors don't mix too much and they all end up dark._

"That's because space is an endless void," Alfred commented as he and Ibrahim painted. A few other kids who were straying around heard Alfred and decided to join the pair in their workshop.

 _Then you grab the colors you want to paint your galaxy with and put them on a palette._

"I'm going to use a deep purple, a dark blue, a light aqua, magenta, turquoise, black, and white. You can use any colors you want though!" Alfred smiled.

 _Using a sponge, dip into two colors and paint a diagonal blob, from the bottom left to top right direction._

"Mix and match any colors you want for this, be creative! I used my magenta and white, but you can use dark blue and white if you want." Alfred gave the class he had formed a smile before continuing his work.

 _Blur the line you just painted._

"For those of you that wear glasses like me, making it look like you're not wearing glasses." The class giggled at his antics.

 _Make sure to do it before the paint dries._

"We're on a timer kiddos! Gotta work before the bomb goes off!"

 _Slowly add more color on top of the first layer._

"I'm not going to add too much, maybe just in a small part in the middle, but you guys do what you want, I'm not in charge of your art. You are the master of your own creativity." Alfred told them, slowly going turning into Bob Ross. The class nodded, suddenly feeling inspired.

 _When satisfied, switch to another color and continue with the same method. No need to wash the sponge._

"I thought it was weird at first, like, 'Why not? We always clean the paintbrushes!' then I remembered it's a sponge and this is a galaxy, the sponge will spread water if not fully dried and a galaxy can be as colorful as I want it to be, so it doesn't matter! Well, the water part does. Speaking from experience, don't wash the sponge." Alfred chuckled nervously and the class laughed, enjoying Alfred's comments. Even Ibrahim was giving him some smiles.

 _Add tiny bits of white in the new area._

"This is because they will look like stars. At least, that's what my cousin told me. Don't quote me, guys!"

 _Continue with each color until most of your canvas is colorful._

"Alright, this is what I have so far. It's okay if yours looks different! Now I hope everyone got black on there palette's because it's time to black out some areas!"

 _Blackout areas to dim. Keep blackouts moving in a diagonal pattern. This will create dimension within the painting._

"The diagonal thing is important. We have to keep up the motion we originally started with."

 _Go back and add more layers of color. More layers equal to more dimensions. Repeat blackout again._

"A lot of repeating." One student commented. The others hummed in agreement.

 _Get the center of the diagonals to be bright by adding white or a brighter version of the darker color._

 _Remember to use different parts of the sponge when changing colors, or use a whole other sponge if needed._

"Now the stars!" Alfred whooped. The class smiled excitedly. "My cousin uses an old toothbrush but we'll just use the paint brushes. Remember to use a medium sized one."

 _Dip the tips of the brush onto the white paint and with the tip of your finger, smooth the ends back and allow them to flick forward, splattering the paint around the canvas and creating the stars. Pro Tip: Wetting brush a bit may help in getting more stars, just take off any excess water as it will lead to the paint being too drippy._

"You can experiment with the angles of your brush and see what works for you! Remember, just try not to paint the stars by actually painting them right now. You'll be missing out on the funnest part!" Alfred informed.

"'Funnest' isn't a word." One of the kids told him.

"...It is if you say it enough."

 _After enough small stars, grab a paintbrush with a round tip and paint larger stars in clusters._

"If you're good at constellations, paint them! If you're not, make up your own! You can be as imaginative with your art as you want!"

 _Remember: Add more layers of color after finishing each new step._

"I'm fine with mine, but then again I am not an artist. My cousin is."

"What kind of art are they good at?" One guy asked.

"Well not only does he paint and sculpt, but he's also a culinary artist! Maybe I should bring him one day so he can teach a cooking class." Alfred thought aloud.

"Yeah!"

"That'd be so cool!"

"I love cooking!"

As they continued painting, an idea crossed Ibrahim's mind.

"This is an easy job. All it is it layers of color, black, and splattering on white stars. Anyone can paint a galaxy." He mumbled. Alfred, who was sitting right next to him, nodded.

"Exactly. That's why a lot of people like painting galaxies so much! They're one of the easiest things to paint. Even if you mess up, no one will really be able to tell!"

Finally, they reached what was basically the ending: the stardust.

"So you have to use a round tipped brush for this guys," Alfred noted, using his from before.

 _Using a round-tipped brush, dip into white paint and begin painting onto canvas in the shape of an asterisk. Adding more layers of wite will make the burst seem brighter._

"If it looks like a firework went off, that's okay. Mine looks like one too." Alfred tilted his head slightly. "Though I'm not sure how."

 _Once finished with stardust, add new lays of color and stars to increase dimensions._

 _For the final layer, put color and stars of the flicking motion, then to end it all, add bright, white stars onto painting by actually painting them._

"And done! I hope you guys had fun doing this with me. I had fun too! Moons, I hope my boyfriend likes this. I think I'll give it to him."

"You're dating someone?" One of the young omegas pouted.

Alfred laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "Yeah. Artie and I just started dating but I'm a hell of a lucky guy he actually let me court him."

The omegas at the table smiled. "Awe, you're a sweet guy. I'm sure he's lucky to have you."

"My brother would disagree." Alfred laughed, feeling like he was connecting to the teens.

Maggie then walked in through the door, clearing her throat and gaining everyone's attention.

"Alfred, I'm afraid visiting hours are over. You have to go back now."

"Awe, that's too bad. I was having fun with all these kids." Alfred gave them his lopsided smile as he stood up. Ibrahim stood up with him. Grabbing their drawings and paintings, both alphas followed Maggie down the halls toward the front exit.

"Alfred..." Ibrahim said quietly, looking at the older alpha. Alfred looked back at him, nodding and gesturing for him to speak up.

"Uh, do you really mean it? Would you really build a place like that to help out kids like me?"

Alfred nodded, eyebrows furrowed together. "Of course."

Ibrahim seemingly swallowed his next words and handed Alfred his drawing of the caged bird. Alfred looked at it and noticed it was slightly different than before. The door which was previously closed was now wide open.

"T-Turn it over. This hallway leads to my room, Maggie! I'm going to go take a nap before dinner!" Ibrahim yelled to her as she was further ahead of them and ran off before either she or Alfred could react.

* * *

Alfred laid on his bed and stared at the note on the back of Ibrahim's drawing, reading it again and again.

' _Alfred, since you told me your story, I will tell you mine. I sorta lied about why I was there. I didn't just steal from a liquor store. I stole from multiple places, that liquor store was just where I got caught. A kid my age and nationality (half-Turkish, half-Cypriot) has a hard time finding a job and my family is-as you may have guessed-a low-income family. I am not proud of what I've done, but I had to do what I could to help my single-alpha-father raising me and my little brother. If you really do build what you say you will, I know you will be helping so many kids like me, kids that are simply struggling with life. Thank you for being someone who believes in us and doesn't give up on us. We need people like you in our lives. You will, in no doubt, make the world better._

 _-Ibrahim Adnan_ '

He turned it back over to the actual drawing and touched the open gate of the cage, the bird looking ready to fly free.

"I won't let you down, Ibrahim," Alfred whispered. He is done letting people down.

* * *

 _ **A/N: So...I'm an asshole. I'm not gonna sugarcoat it, I'm an asshole. I have completely ignored this book simply because I hate typing on my phone and rarely have time to use the computer at home even though I know very well Wattpad and Fanfic are blocked on my school authorized computer. It has gotten to the point where I am literally typing this out onto a google doc just because I am actively avoiding trying to type this onto my phone. You guys did not deserve this long wait and I am sorry. I am not a good author that updates immediately and while that's sorta what I'm aiming for, I need to be realistic with myself...every two weeks should be my deadline. I will slap it into me if I have to so you guys don't have to keep getting these long pauses in between each chapter. The google doc thing is actually working for me so I will continue using that method until I get my own laptop and not something owned by a school, but until then I'm stuck with this so I guess you guys are too. (Oh, I also have summer school this year so oof, but only for a month so it won't be taking up all my time for that long! (I am literally putting off doing my homework to do this oof)) Now, away from that depressing stuff and onto notes for what's happening in this chapter!**_

 _ **As I previously mentioned, we were going to touch upon Alfred's past and Arthur's zero-fighting tolerance. Well, we just got a heaping serving of Alfred's past now! I even mentioned the-dun Dun DUN!-incident that happened at his school! *GASP* Speaking of Arthur, I know he doesn't show up much in this chapter but I needed this to focus more on Alfred so...he's in heat! I'll explain heat cycles later, but not now. Anyway, Alfred's story is pretty self-explanatory but you guys have questions just ask and I'll explain further for you!**_

 _ **Ibrahim Adnan is Cyprus. No, not Northern Cyprus, who's the short one with the red hat, the other one who started playing the music that one episode Greece and Turkey were gonna start fighting but started dancing again. Ibrahim is my headcanon name for him since I don't know his name and Adnan is actually Turkey's last name but since I made Turkey his dad in this fic he takes his last name.**_

 _ **The whole painting sequence I got off an actual video from a website. This is the website [take out the () to access website]: https(:/)(/)step(by)step(picture made of paint-ing).worknet/2018/05/17/how(-)to(-)paint(-)galaxy(-)space(-)with(-)acrylics/**_

 _ **Alfred's is basically the one from the video okay, cuz I have no imagination. Also, the cats Alfred drew were basically the neko versions of himself and Arthur. I have a picture of what it kinda looks like in the Wattpad version of this book since I can't insert pictures here and I got it online because I suck at drawing so if you guys wanna see that pic just pop up over on wattpad to see it. :3**_

 _ **This is the best drawing I could find that basically is what I pictured Ibrahim's drawing to look like in my head so yeah…[remove the () and replace the word dot with periods, also fix the image to all lowercase to get to picture]: https(:/)(/) image.(shutter)stock.c0m(ImAgE)(-)photo/freedom(-)concept(-)bird(-)open(-)cage(-)260nw(-)(seven/53)four-hundred thirty-eight(five/three/eight).jaypeg**_

 _ **Also yes, I did mention the 2ps thanks for noticing! Allen and Oliver, 2p!America and 2p!England respectively. Allen would definitely be put in juvie for violence, especially if he's protecting Oliver guys.**_

 _ **How Alfred describes the American juvenile system is pretty close to accurate, but I've never been in one so I can't say for sure. I did do my research on the American one though! The English one...not as much. I am trying to put a point across though so I'm keeping it as it is.**_

 _ **One final thing I want to address is drug and murder laws in England. They are very strict about Category A drugs, which are drugs like cocaine and heroin, and people can go to jail for an average of ~7 years I believe, sources did vary, for having and using those drugs. So Alfred's roommate, who we'll say was about 18, would have done 7 years of jail simply for possession of drugs, but he also did try to kill Alfred (professionally called 'attempted murder') while high on heroin which adds a range of another 4-7 years or even life imprisonment to his record. Now I bring this up because the mention of this roommate will be brought up again! (I never told you guys his fate in this chapter!) I just needed you guys to know these laws now for future purposes!**_

 _ **That's all I have now, but I will really really try harder to update earlier! I love all of you my readers and I am super mad at myself that I kept all of you waiting for this long! I hope this chapter makes up for it!**_

 _ **Remember to ask questions if you're confused! However, if these questions make me spoil anything in any way, shape, or form for any future chapters, I will answer very vaguely. You have been warned!**_

 _ **Thank you for reading!**_


	31. Chapter 31: Finals From Helllllo There

_No One's POV:_

"Oh shit!"

Alfred tripped over the body on the floor of his room, both he and the mysterious body groaning after the impact.

"Al what the fuck?!" Matthew cursed at him, removing the blanket from over his face and glaring at his twin as he attempted to push him off.

"Sorry! What the fuck are you doing on the floor anyway?" Alfred grunted. He didn't even remember inviting his brother in. Oh no, was he breaking into his room like he did when he was a kid again? He only did that when he was really anxious.

"I'm trying to turn into a burrito. Burritos don't take finals."

"...Matthew, little brother, get the fuck up and study."

"No. And I'm not that much younger than you! It's only by a few minutes!"

"Matthew don't be a waste of potential."

"Ugh fine."

"Hey...how'd you get in my room anyway?"

"I broke in."

"Dude, what the fuck?"

"Not my fault you taught me how to pick locks during our younger years."

* * *

"Arthur get out from your nest."

Arthur huffed and threw more blankets over his head. His heat had just ended in the early hours of the day and he barely slept the whole time. He should be allowed a few extra hours of rest!

Michelle glared at the omega and frowned, crossing her arms over her chest. The beta has not seen her best friend for the past few weeks because he kept hanging out with his boyfriend and now Arthur won't listen to her! If she didn't think Alfred was good for Arthur, she'd have told him off by now.

"Arthur get up. Lilo needs you."

He didn't hesitate to raise his head out from the cover of his blankets and look over at his friend.

"Yes, I'm being serious. Lilo needs your help. She got into some trouble. They want you there to keep her calm since you're basically her mom."

Arthur nodded and started to get out of his nest, wincing a bit from the pain in his ass. Michelle noticed and raised an eyebrow.

"You sure Alfred didn't come to visit you during your little week off?"

Arthur shook his head. He hadn't talked to Alfred at all that week. He didn't keep his phone close to him because he didn't really have any time to use it and it's not like he and Alfred could talk over the phone anyway. And Alfred made it very clear that he was not going to swoop in and mate Arthur immediately. They were still courting and he hadn't even met Alfred's parents yet! He wanted to do it in a sorta traditional way. Besides, he must've been busy. The semester is almost over and finals will be happening soon. Then after finals...Christmas!

Would they spend Christmas together? What are they gonna do?

"Arthur, hey, are you okay? You look out of it. Do you want me to go with Lilo instead?" Michelle asked, waving her hand in his face. Arthur shook out of it and blinked, looking at Michelle. He firmly shook his head and shooed her out. He was going to shower and change first. He did not want to smell like heat as he met with the orphanage directors.

* * *

Alfred looked down at his phone, checking the time for the hundredth time. It was 12:00. Arthur said he would meet him in the gazebo at 11:15. Why was he so late?

Alfred sighed and looked down at his latest gifts for Arthur: his galaxy painting and cat drawing. He really wanted to tell Arthur about what happened to him the past week with Ibrahim and the other kids at the facility, all from the beginning. A strong part of his mind was even telling him to tell Arthur about how he ended up volunteering there, but he was pushing it away. He loved Arthur, truly he did. He just...didn't want to air out this pile of dirty laundry yet.

As Alfred sat on one of the benches next to the open window, he couldn't help remembering the first time he was in there with Arthur.

How bright his eyes were, the lighting striking them perfectly. How sad he had looked when he almost spoke, then the happiness and hope in his eyes when Alfred gave him the flower.

A thornless rose.

His mother told him the story of the gods and what a thornless rose meant to them. In his heart, that was his first courting gift to Arthur. The chocolates from before that were from a friend to a friend, but the flower was a declaration of love. The day he gave Arthur the thornless rose was the day he realized he really liked Arthur. Like, _really_ liked him.

The door started to open and Alfred looked over to it, heart thumping faster. He couldn't smell Arthur's scent, but there was another one he had grown fond of there.

"Lilo!" He smiled, seeing the little girl's face peek into the building. Lilo's face broke out into a smile and she ran over to him, almost tripping on her shoelaces. Arthur walked in behind her, giving Alfred a soft smile.

Alfred picked up the young child, putting his gifts down on the bench, then walked over to Arthur to greet him with a soft kiss. "Hey, Artie."

Arthur gave him the salute then proceeded to bury his face in Alfred's neck.

Lilo also gave Alfred a kiss on the cheek, smiling proudly at him. Almost too proudly. He remembered seeing that face when he and Arthur dropped her off at her daycare class after she snuck out the day they went to the mall.

"Lilo have you been a good girl?" He questioned in suspicion.

She smiled and nodded, but Arthur snorted and looked up at Alfred. He could tell by Arthur's reaction that no, no she has not.

"Did she do something?" Alfred inquired, raising an eyebrow. Lilo nodded, giving Alfred a smug smile. Arthur pinched her cheek, making her squeal and giggle.

"Oh man, I really wanna know what she did now." Alfred laughed.

Lilo nodded excitedly, waving around to Arthur and telling him something in sign. Arthur rolled his eyes in return but nodded, grabbing Alfred's hand to lead him away.

"Oh wait!" Alfred quickly stopped Arthur and went to grab his gifts from the bench, presenting them to Arthur. "I made these for you."

Arthur stared down at the painting and the cat drawing, feeling his face flush.

"Awe~, you look so cute Artie." Alfred cooed, kissing his cheek. Arthur smacked him playfully, holding his gifts to his chest protectively as he began to once again guide Alfred and Lilo out of the gazebo and back to his room so he could explain what happened.

* * *

Matthew was in one of his school's library's study rooms, looking down at his notes and repeatedly telling himself he would not cry.

It was a stupid project, how hard could it be?! Sure he wasn't the best at Sociology but he could ace it if he tried, right? Right?!

Matthew jumped when someone knocked on the window beside the table he was sitting at and looked outside, seeing Feliciano. He and the other omega had gotten along well, even becoming friends. Even his brother Lovino warmed up to him.

Feliciano was waving at Matthew, and Matthew waved back smiling. Beside Feliciano was Ludwig, who was looking at him apologetically. And leaning on the wall behind him was…

"Gilbert!" Matthew stood up from his chair and rushed out of the room to the alpha, moving in to hug him.

"Kesesesese~, hello Birdie!" Gilbert chuckled, holding Matthew in his arms. Matthew hadn't been able to visit Gilbert for a few weeks because of all the preparation he'd been doing for finals but seeing the alpha now was a huge stress relief. He always had such a calming scent.

"Lud! Coot!" A high voice squealed. Matthew looked over at Feliciano and saw him squeaking and jumping. Then he noticed the hearing aids in his ears.

Matthew gasped and released Gilbert to turn to Feliciano happily.

"You can hear!" Matthew jumped happily as he signed messily. He started learning how to sign to communicate with (his future brother-in-law) Arthur. He pointed to Feliciano to let him know he was addressing him, then he made the "S" letter with both hands, moving downward about six inches to sign "can", then using his right hand, he tapped his ear twice with his pointer finger to sign "hear".

Feliciano nodded happily, smiling brightly.

"'N tak." Feliciano slurred happily. Matthew gasped happily.

"That's amazing Feli!"

"Mr. Williams, Mr. Belshcmidt." A cold voice spoke up. The group looked over and saw the assistant librarian with his arms crossed. His dark brown eyes were unamused behind his large-framed glasses, an eyebrow slightly raised.

"Apologies Mr. Sanders." Ludwig frowned.

"Sorry, Logan. We'll be quieter." Matthew smiled sheepishly.

"I'd hate to have to kick you out, Matthew. You need all the study time you can get. Please return to your study room or I will assume it's empty." Logan began to walk away.

"Yes, Logan. Tell Patton I say hi." Matthew got out before Logan was too far away.

"I did not know you knew Logan's boyfriend." Ludwig raised an eyebrow at the omega. "He is very secretive."

"Patton and I had a class together. He's a really sweet omega. And make's great cookies!...Logan's right, I have to get back to studying." Matthew sighed, but looked over at Gilbert. "Would you mind staying with me Gilbert? I could use the company."

Gilbert had been silently listening to everything playing out as he leaned on the wall. The way Matthew interacted with everyone was so...charming. He smiled when Matthew asked him to keep him company, getting up from the wall.

"Ja, as long as I won't distract you."

"No, you'll be helping actually! I need someone to do my Sociology project on and you're perfect!"

* * *

"You're joking!" Alfred gasped as continued laughing his ass off.

Arthur shook his head, writing something down on the same page he'd been using. ' _I'm dead serious._ '

"I can't believe it!"

While Arthur was in his heat, Lilo caused a full week of chaos.

On day one, she caught a bunch of frogs from the gardens, put them in a box with holes, and open the box in the orphanage's playroom, released the hoard of frogs into the room and scaring every other child in the room.

On day two, she accidentally set the microwave in the cafeteria on fire. (She didn't know leaving the metal fork in the bowl would make it explode!) One of the older students put it out with the fire extinguisher. Lilo did not get to eat her pasta that day.

Day three is somehow better than that. She broke a very, very expensive vase and tried to fix it with glitter glue and tape. To be fair, the vase was outside and she and the other kids were kicking a ball around. So if it wasn't her, it would have been someone else.

Day four was the usual trouble. She snuck out of her preschool classes but after she remembered Arthur was in his heat, she went back to them. She did wander around in the gardens for an hour first, avoiding the security guards looking for her by ducking into the bushes until they were gone.

Day five she fought with another alpha, a little boy Arthur didn't know. She kicked him and started punching him because he hurt Roshaun's feelings by calling him a stupid omega and she was protecting her friend. She didn't care that she was five and the other kid was nine, she went for it. Both kids got punished that day. Roshaun and the other daycare kids went with her to the nurse's office to make sure she was okay and thank her for protecting their little pack. (It was so cute, the nurse took a video and sent it to Arthur.)

Day six, oh boy, she caused a riot in her preschool class on day six. They weren't going to get a snack time because of one trouble maker (not her for once) and she was mad the whole class would be getting punished so she and a few other kids caused a riot to get their snacktime back.

Day seven, the day Arthur was out of his heat, that very morning, Lilo walked straight into the orphanage office, completely skipping her classes, and asked for them to put down Arthur as her legal mother and Alfred as her legal father.

And Alfred was on the floor crying because of the frogs and riots by the end of the story. Lilo, who was still sitting on the bed, pouted at Alfred's reaction and huffed, looking over to Arthur moodily.

Arthur smiled at her in return and patted his lap, holding his hand out for her. Lilo crawled over to him and sat on his lap, sticking her tongue out at Alfred then turning to bury her face in Arthur's chest.

"Awe Lilo. I'm sorry, kiddo." Alfred chuckled, sitting up and leaning onto the bed.

Lilo peeked out at Alfred for a second before hiding her face again. Arthur raised an eyebrow, surprised. Lilo has never acted this shy. He started to run his fingers through her wavy hair, wondering if something was wrong. Alfred stared at Lilo, noting that something was off with her scent. He looked up at Arthur and saw the look of concern on his face, noting that his feelings were right.

"Lilo? Baby girl are you okay?" He asked, sitting up straight to look at Lilo better.

A tiny sob rang out into the room, making both Alfred and Arthur freeze and look at each other. Arthur moved first, shifting around a bit so he was laying on his side with his back to the wall, Lilo laying beside him. Alfred climbed in and started to help Arthur.

"Lilo? Hey kiddo what's wrong? No need to cry." Alfred cooed, trying to calm her. Lilo only cried some more. Arthur looked panicked, also trying to calm his kid down.

Lilo didn't respond, simply continuing to cry her little heart out. Alfred and Arthur looked at each other, worried.

 _What the hell was going on?_

* * *

Matthew grabbed his notebook and started trying to rip it apart.

"What are you doing?" Gilbert laughed, ruby eyes staring out into nothing.

"I'm trying to kill my homework."

"Matthew, it's just a project."

"That's worth almost half my grade!"

"So ripping it to pieces wouldn't be the best idea then, would it?"

Matthew stopped his struggles and looked over at Gilbert, who was smirking. The younger sighed, putting his notebook down.

"No, it wouldn't."

"So settle down and start asking your questions. That is why you asked me to stay with you, right?"

Matthew blushed. Well yes, but also no. Matthew really liked hanging out with Gilbert. Dare he say, he developed a crush on the alpha. A crush that his little brother Michael teased him about when he overheard him admitting it to their mother.

"Matthew?"

"Huh? Oh right, sorry. I got lost in thought. Let me just..." Matthew grabbed his notebook and opened it up to the questions he had to ask.

"So, Gilbert. I need to know a few things about you first before I ask you the questions. Oh, and you do not need to answer any questions you don't feel comfortable answering."

"Got it." He nodded.

"So, I need your age, date of birth, and country of origin. I already know your sign and gender."

"I am 23 years old. I was born on January 18, 1995, in Germany." He responded.

"You're...older than I thought you were." Matthew blinked, looking up at the alpha.

"Older?"

"Yeah. I thought you were, like, 20 or something, or 22. You're one year above my guesstimate."

Gilbert laughed at Matthew's words, shaking his head. "Why didn't you ever ask?"

"It'd be weird to, Bear!" Matthew whined, then pouted. "Now shut up so I can continue."

"You're pouting aren't you?"

"...No…"

Gilbert started laughing again. He took a while to calm down before Matthew could continue.

"What is your social status?"

"Middle class."

"Were you born into it?"

"Yes."

"Were your parents born into it?"

"Yes."

"Do you see yourself as a member of society or do you reject society?"

"More like I was rejected by society."

Matthew looked at Gilbert for a few seconds before continuing.

"What kind of relationships do you have? Like, with your parents and siblings. And your romantic partner?"

"I have a familial bond with all my family members, but I don't have a romantic partner. I would like one, though." Gilbert opened his eyes, the red orbs glowing as they unknowingly stared at Matthew. Matthew bit his lip as he wrote down what had been said so far.

"Do you have a favorite genre of music?"

"I like classical music." Gilbert was silent for a moment before laughing. "I know, it's weird but my cool uncle Fritz played in a classical music orchestra. He actually taught me how to play the flute. He died a few years ago, but listening to classical music helps me feel connected to him."

Matthew smiled at Gilbert, chuckling. "I like it too, but I hate when my family and I have to go to parties because that's the only music they play. It gets annoying after a while. Plus all those alphas stepping on my feet as they dance with me and try to get me to like them...ugh."

"Do you not like dancing?" Gilbert asked, leaning forward and resting his head on his arms.

"I do, but people only ask to dance with me so they can hit on me. And it's rude to leave in the middle of a song when you're dancing with someone so it's like a trap." Matthew frowned as he wrote. "Some of the alphas are like really old too. Like in their late 30's old. They then try to set me up with their alpha children and it's annoying. That's why I only try to dance with Al or Mikey."

"Oh? So no alpha has caught your eye before?" Gilbert asked, raising his head.

"Well…" Matthew looked away. "Yes but, I haven't met one who likes me back yet. Onto the next question then!"

Matthew continued to ask Gilbert his questions and managed to finish his project before his time for the study room was up. They still had around half an hour left, but Matthew had no other homework to do and he'd been studying the whole day already.

"What should we do?" Matthew asked the alpha, putting his stuff back into his backpack.

"Do you have your computer?" Gilbert asked.

"Yeah, let me pull it out real quick."

After setting it up, Matthew asked Gilbert what he had to search.

"Classical music to dance to."

"...Bear, please."

"Come on, Birdie." Gilbert laughed, standing up. "Dance with me."

Matthew sighed but did as told. He found a video with waltz music around an hour and a half long and started it up, getting rid of the ad that played before he stood up. Gilbert had his hand out, the smile already on his face growing wider when Matthew took it.

"Follow my lead, ja?" Gilbert pressed closer to Matthew, positioning his hand on the younger's hip and starting the waltz. Matthew felt a blush creep up his face as he stared at Gilbert's too close face.

"Why so nervous, Birdie? It's just me." Gilbert raised an eyebrow, moving to twirl Matthew before bringing him in again.

"Well, I haven't danced with anyone in a while s-so I'm a bit out of practice, that's all!" Matthew coughed awkwardly, looking down at his feet.

Gilbert chuckled, leaning closer so his nose was in Matthew's hair. "You're cute, Birdie."

"Oh? Are you hitting on me, Bear?" Matthew teased.

"Maybe." Gilbert leaned back, a crooked smile on his lips as his eyes shined brightly. "How does it make you feel? Do you want to run away?"

Matthew hummed but leaned closer to Gilbert. "No."

* * *

 ** _Hello! :D I updated faster yay! Ok so it wasn't 2-weeks but it also wasn't 2 months so I'm getting better! I hope you guys enjoyed this little filler chapter and the PruCan, it was fun to write. The next chapter will be more centered on continuing the story so keep an eye out for that one!_**

 ** _Michelle came back in this one! I love her, I should put her in more chapters._**

 ** _I made Lilo cry, I feel like a monster. Ugh. And if you're wondering how Lilo looks like, I basically imagined her looking exactly like Lilo from Lilo and Stitch, but her hair is wavier. Like beach waves. Because I make puns wherever I go and I will not be stopped. :D Her week of chaos was fun to write because I thought about all the things a five-year-old could do and then wrote it down. And before any of you say anything, I know for a fact a five-year-old is smart enough to catch a bunch of frogs to release and hide from security. They're mischievous little shits and if they wanted to, could make the world burn. (Currently live with a 4-almost-5-year-old so trust me, I know my stuff)_**

 ** _Alfred and Arthur being cute again. Lol. Love my bois. And mystery solved! Alfred does know the meaning of a thornless rose! So Alfred confessed his love to Arthur a few chapters back! Haha, I feel like Shane when he connected them dots._**

 ** _Matt and Gil be cute too. Uncle Fritz is definitely Old Man Fritz, I love him. And he totally would have taught Gil how to play the flute. That's how badass Gil is. Just. Ugh. I love these guys so much? I love writing them like this? So soft?_**

 ** _SO. I have a confession to make…_**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _._**

 ** _I put a Sanders Sides reference in here. Logan and Patton. Logicallity is my sHIT. (and Prinxiety) I love Thomas Sanders, he is such an inspiration to me and a huge motivator too. Just. Love him. Do you guys watch him? He's so great._**

 ** _AYE SO FELI TALKED! THAT'S NEW! DEAF PEOPLE CAN TALK EVERYBODY, AND FELI IS NO EXCEPTION!_**

 ** _Speaking of...talking...guess who might talk again soon~. Hm? I'll give you all a hint: In BBC's Merlin, he is Merlin's favorite clotpole. ( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°) Our fave prince turned king._**

 ** _Ok, so I have personally taken a Sociology class in college. Those questions Matthew asked Gilbert were part of a 'get to know you' quiz we took in that class to see where we were in society, how likely we would be able to move up or down the classes, if we accept or reject society, stuff like that. I really enjoyed that class._**

 ** _I'm going to confess something else. The reason I made Matt and Gil slow dance was because this song came on: [Adventure Time] Slow Dance With You【Ashe】_**

 ** _I love that song so much ugh. This is the playlist Matthew pulled up if you have a partner you want to slow dance with: Waltz: Classical music for dances, balls, and parties - Classical MPR Playlist_**

 ** _(both on YouTube)_**

 ** _Welp, these are all the notes I have for the chapter. Thank you so much for reading! Also, I really love everyone's comments. You guys are so great and I enjoy reading them. I love you all so much! Thnks fr th msgs!_**


	32. Chapter 32: To the Mall with Lilo

_No One's POV:_

Lilo was not having a good week. She blamed it on the author, but it's not like she could voice her opinion. Ok, the author was on thin ice now for that pun.

But back to Lilo.

She was just trying to have a fun week. She didn't mean to cause any harm or get into as much trouble as she did. Her mother wasn't around though, and as the saying goes: when the cat's away, the mice will play.

Not that Arthur is a cat or anything. He was just in heat for the whole week and Alfred doesn't visit when he's in his heat so she had no parental figure to control her.

Okay, there was the staff, but Lilo likes Arthur and his mate Alfred better.

The author would like to remind Lilo that Arthur and Alfred have not mated.

Lilo would like to tell the author she doesn't care, they're practically married anyway.

The author would like to say that they agree with Lilo on that.

Anyways, back to Lilo, again. The author would like to ask Lilo to stop breaking the fourth wall. Lilo would like to start this over!

Lilo was not having a good week.

She was just trying to have a fun week. She didn't mean to cause any harm or get into as much trouble as she did. Her mother wasn't around though, and as the saying goes: when the cat's away, the mice will play.

Not that Arthur is a cat or anything. He was just in heat for the whole week and Alfred doesn't visit when he's in his heat so she had no parental figure to control her.

Okay, there was the staff, but Lilo likes Arthur and his boyfriend Alfred better. They actually wanted to get close to her and even get to know her. If she's lucky, they might even adopt her.

Lilo didn't want to leave Arthur's side. She had grown too attached to him and saw him as a better mother than her birth one, who just left her. She didn't want Arthur to do that. She wanted him to stay with her. Lilo wanted him to take her.

But it was going to be Christmas soon. Arthur was going to leave her and she feared getting adopted when he did. She wanted to ask him if she could go with him but she doubted he'd let her.

That's why she was crying in the last chapter.

The author has left the room momentarily to cry about the broken fourth wall and try to find some duct tape. Yet the story continues without them.

That's why she was crying now. She wanted to be with Arthur and Alfred for as long as possible before they had to leave her again. It was working, but she found a flaw in her plan, crying was making her tired. If she fell asleep, Arthur may take her to her room to sleep away their precious time!

"Hey now Lilo, what's wrong? It's okay baby girl, you don't need to cry." Alfred cooed. Oh right, she was crying on Arthur's bed and both parental figures were trying to comfort her.

Lilo tried to calm herself down, but it wasn't working. She was only getting more worked up.

Arthur was looking between her and Alfred, not sure what to do. She has smelled this scent before, he was anxious. Lilo wasn't sure if Alfred had noticed it yet, but she had. Alpha instincts were alpha instincts, no matter the age of the alpha. Lilo managed to calm herself down and looked up at Arthur hugging him tighter to comfort him. It was an alpha's duty to protect an omega.

Alfred watched Lilo, knowing well that she went into protective Alpha mode because of Arthur's panic and wanted to calm him down. Letting out a small chuckle, Alfred rubbed Lilo on the head, making her look back at him curiously.

"You're in the makings of a great alpha Lilo." He smiled.

Lilo, face still puffy and eyes still red, smiled brightly at him. Alfred huffed in amusement and looked up at Arthur, scooting closer but making sure not to squash the child between him and his boyfriend.

"Everything alright, Artie? No more anxiety?" He asked, running a hand through Arthur's hair then cupping his cheek. Arthur's bright eyes punctured his gaze, a smile growing on the omega's lips.

Lilo looked between them and wrinkled her nose. She thought the author was making this too cheesy.

The author would like to ask her to shut up and mind her own business and remind her not to break the fourth wall.

Lilo would like to say that the author is not the boss of her and that she won't shut up.

The author would like to remind Lilo they can write her out of the fanfic so the author is the boss of her.

Lilo is going to shut up now and let the author continue writing because the author has no life and this is how they make up for it.

The author has left the room to cry because Lilo is right.

Somehow, the story continues.

Lilo pushed Alfred away and held onto Arthur, pouting. She wanted to comfort Arthur. She'd known him longer!

Alfred and Arthur laughed at her antics, finding her adorable.

Arthur bit his lip, having the sudden urge to...to speak. He'd only spoken to Maeve before, and a little bit to Lovino. It made the omega freak out, but it was worth it when he called his voice pretty. His mother would call his voice pretty too.

The omega took in a deep breath and pulled Lilo and Alfred closer, nuzzling Alfred and running his fingers through Lilo's hair. He didn't need anything else in the world, this right here was paradise enough.

After a while of silence between the small group, Alfred decided to speak up. He was never one to be quiet for long anyway.

"Hey, you two want to watch a movie? I mean, like leave the school and everything. They're having a promotional thing at the theater at the mall and are passing reruns of some Christmas movies." Alfred suggested, smiling when Lilo launched up excitedly nodding.

Arthur got up too, nodding as much as Lilo.

"Okay great! I brought my car today so we can just head to the parking lot and leave now. I can show you movie times on the way." Alfred picked Lilo up in his arms then noticed her shirt had three staples in it and the hem.

"Uh, Lilo, why does your shirt have staples in it?"

Arthur looked at Lilo's shirt and saw the three staples too. He sighed then looked at Lilo with the face only exasperated parents could make. Lilo only shrugged, smiling innocently. Arthur took her from Alfred and they left his room to her's next door.

Alfred still didn't know why Lilo, an alpha, had a room in the omega dorms but decided that he'd rather not question it again. The last explanation was too confusing.

The small group walked into the room and Arthur immediately went for her clothes, going to choose a new shirt for her. Alfred looked around and spotted the gifts he and Arthur gave her for her birthday weeks ago. Amongst the coloring books and art supplies, was a familiar face Alfred was happy to see.

"Hey, it's Frank!" He smiled, looking at the plushie he had given her. Frank was a blue unicorn plushie with a golden horn and a blue mane and tail. Next to him was the elephant Arthur bought her the day they went on their first mall date. Lilo named the elephant Ellis.

Lilo nodded, climbing onto her bed to hug both plushies. It was super cute, the way she smiled at him. Almost like she wanted him to be proud of her cuteness.

Arthur stopped rummaging in the closet and pulled out a new shirt, showing it to Lilo. Lilo looked it over and nodded. It was a grey t-shirt with the Hogwarts crest and had Hogwarts written on top of it. She jumped off her bed and took the new shirt, dragging Arthur with her to change in the bathroom. Somehow she always got her arms stuck when pulling her shirt over so having Arthur there would lessen the struggle.

"I'll just wait here then…"

* * *

Lilo bounced excitedly in the backseat, looking out the side of the window.

"Lilo, you gotta calm down kiddo. I don't want to get pulled over and get a ticket for child endangerment." Alfred called from the driver's seat.

He didn't own any car seats for Lilo to be sitting on and they didn't have any at the office when he signed (*cough* snuck *cough) both Lilo and Arthur out of their school so he was breaking a few laws there.

Lilo looked over to Arthur from the mirror on the outside of the car and signed him a message.

' _Not my fault he doesn't have a seat._ '

Arthur snorted but covered it up to not distract Alfred.

"Whaaaaat? What'd she say, Artie?" Alfred pouted.

Arthur shook his head and waved him off.

' _Don't worry about it._ '

"If you say so." Alfred shrugged, already knowing what that sign meant. Arthur had been teaching him sign language and while it was hard at first, Alfred started to pick up a few phrases and knew how to sign some back.

Lilo sat calmly in her seat, deciding that if she was good, they'd let her choose the movie. Alfred had listed off a few already: _The Nightmare Before Christmas_ (most likely), _A Christmas Carol_ (classic), _The Polar Express_ (she already saw that at the daycare), _Home Alone_ (funny), _How The Grinch Stole Christmas_ (too many adult jokes), _Miracle on 34th Street_ (also very good), etc. She already had her opinions and knew her choice. She'd tell them when they got to the theater.

* * *

"So what movie?" Alfred asked, looking at the few times available.

The only two for the time being since the rest were sold out were _The Nightmare Before Christmas_ and _Die Hard_ for some reason.

Alfred was fine with either but was leaning more toward _Die Hard_. It was a good movie, and one of his favorites.

Arthur was in the same boat as Alfred, but he felt a tug on his hand and looked down at Lilo, who gave him her large puppy-dog-eyes look, pointing to the _Nightmare Before Christmas_ poster. Arthur bit his lip and looked over to Alfred, who was staring glassy-eyed at _Die Hard_.

Arthur turned back to Lilo and nodded toward Alfred, hoping she'd get the message. Lilo looked at Alfred, and shook his hand, trying to get his attention.

It did not work.

Lilo wants the author to make him pay attention to her.

The author will now point out the obvious to the only character capable of breaking the fourth wall: climb him and get in his face or ask Arthur to pick her up so she can get his attention.

Lilo is thankful for the advice and will now climb the larger alpha like a tree.

It didn't work, Arthur had to pick her up and she waved her hand in his face to get his attention. Alfred looked away from the movie poster and was caught dead in the middle of two puppy-dog gazes, both asking for the Tim Burton movie.

"...Moons above fine! Just stop with the eyes!" Alfred moaned, covering his face with his hands. They looked so adorable! He couldn't help it!

Lilo and Arthur smiled, high-fiving each other.

Onto the movie!

* * *

 _ **Hey everybody. How are you guys? I hope everyone is doing well. :)**_

 _ **Sorry this chapter is so short, but I really wanted to update and I didn't want to wait another 2 months for the next chapter! I'm really trying to keep this schedule working, but I get distracted easily and I also procrastinate a lot.**_

 _ **Anywho, onto the notes for this chapter!**_

 _ **So we know why Lilo was crying now. She wants Arthur and Alfred to adopt her! I've always had an idea in the back of my mind that because Arthur went to a school like this, he was always going to want to adopt at least one child while also having some of his own, but I was never sure if I was going to make it Lilo or Kea or any of the daycare kids that aren't adopted/have a family. I kinda have a plan of where this arc will go but I honestly just started planning it so I can't say anything will come of it at this point. So Rory, yes you know who you are, you might just get that wish you wanted. ;)**_

 _ **Oh yeah, Lilo can break the fourth wall. I thought it'd be funny to add that in the chapter since I left Lilo's situation kinda abruptly in the last chapter and I wanted to lighten the mood for this one. She was inspired by a few of my baby cousins so I guess she has always been more real to me than the rest of the characters (except Maeve cuz she's my OC and I basically projected myself through her soooo).**_

 _ **There is a law in the U.K. about car seats and kids, basically if the kid is not 12 or over the 135cm tall limit (so ~4.5ft), they can't sit without a car seat. Lilo is neither, so Alfred is breaking some laws. Don't break laws, y'all. Stay safe. Keep kids safe too.**_

 _ **And yeah, I know it's not Christmas (I'm uploading this Aug 7) but it is in the timeline so we will deal with it.**_

 _ **Speaking of timeline, I'm going to spill out the rough estimate of where we were in the beginning to where we are now down here so we can all be in the same boat. For the sake of the years and all that, we'll just place it in 2018 because I never really specified. Also stuff that happens in the past will not be added to this timeline since it's a whole 'nother thing so The Fire chapter will not be mentioned here.**_

 _ **August: So around the second week of August is when their academies began school again, let's say it started the 10th. Where I live this is pretty much what happens, but I know other schools start in September. It was on the 20th when they got assigned partners and then they began that first week of awkwardness. The 21st was the day when Spamano, PruCan, and GerIta had the triple date and UsUk had that movie date where Alfred almost died. Then on the 22nd is when Arthur had his heat. After that week, that's when the relationship progressed.**_

 _ **September: So we're finally here. I was not aware how many of my chapters took place in 1 day! But starting chapter 16, we are in September! Around the start, so like the 7th. Ch17 and 22 are like on the 19th. The pipe burst mentioned in that chapter was the week between the 7th and the 19th. Ch18, 20, 21, and 23 are on the 21st ok. See? This is my problem. Ok, Ch25 is on the 22nd, so they had their first kiss on Sept. 22nd. Their anniversary is the 22nd. I have to mark this now. Great. Alfred made the love spoon on the 25th. Flower language chapter was on the 27th ok. Alfred did not deliver the spoon the same day he had the movie night with Arthur. STOP ASKING ALREADY PERSON THAT KNOWS WHO THIS GOES TO! (my cousins need to stop asking me hard questions) (I have a lot of cousins guys)**_

 _ **We basically have skipped over to November at this point. For a quick science lesson so I can get onto the timeline faster: omegas have heats every 3 months. Heats become longer and stronger if the omega is being courted and has a possible mate, so that's why Arthur had a 3-day heat in August but now it's a full week. (Alfred is the reason for his complaints so hah!) (If you don't get that, he basically complains about omega heats being long periods of time because he's only really known about his mom's and Matthew's) Arthur had one in August and now in November. That basically helped me keep track of the time. Onto the timeline!**_

 _ **November: So Arthur's heat is from the 11-17. So Ch30 is like on the second day, so the 12th. Alfred's first day at the juvie hall is the 13th. He mostly completed his hours within that whole week, but I'm not done with this arc so expect more of those juvie kids later okay! (Not shown but is mentioned, Lilo's BDay is Nov. 27)**_

 _ **December: So now here we are. December 1st. Ch31 and now 32-wherever is on Dec 1st.**_

 _ **We officially have a timeline now! Yay!**_

 _ **The notes are as long as the chapter sometimes…**_

 _ **Thank you for reading everyone! Have a great day!**_


	33. Chapter 325: Lovino Freaks Out

_This is a short story of Lovino freaking out when Arthur talks to him at full volume and not a whisper_

 _(Also I wrote this on my phone [the bane of my existence] so sorry if the spacing or the formatting is bad!)_

* * *

 _No One's POV:_

Lovino shuffled through the hallway, mentally replaying the conversation he had with Antonio a few hours ago, way before he called Arthur and demanded they had a sleepover in his room, just the two of them.

Something he would discuss with Arthur and see what the other omega thinks he should do.

" _Artú_? I'm here to pick you up." The brunette knocked on his friend's door, waiting patiently. His Mamma would call it a miracle if she saw him now.

Arthur opened his door and stepped out beside Lovino, taking his hand and holding it lovingly.

"You have an alpha, stop flirting with me," Lovino smirked.

Arthur snorted and closed the door. Both omegas walked back down the hallway, swinging their hands as they walked and giggling at their stupidity.

They finally reached Lovino's room and Arthur set his stuff down by the closet where he always does, making it noisy too so Lovino knew he set the stuff down.

"Settle down bitch, I have tea."

Lovino set Arthur on his bed and the two laid down, facing each other and hugging their respective pillows while Lovino told Arthur the latest gossip.

"So as you already know, your sister is pretty chummy with that Dutch guy, Abel, and your brothers are all over that. It's really funny. But anyway, I heard Alister is making him create a love-spoon too if he wants to get anywhere near your sister again!"

Arthur started to laugh. He knew Ally was overprotective but sheesh! This is ridiculous!

The two had a good laugh, but Lovino quieted down too fast. Arthur noticed the uneasy scent Lovino had and reached out to take his hand.

Lovino gave a heavy sigh and closed his eyes, trying to imagine the darkness was created only by his eyelids and nothing else.

"Antonio wants to court me, _Artú_."

Arthur gave off a strange squawk sound and Lovino chuckled, holding his hand closer.

"I know, I know. I should be talking about this with Feli, or my _Mamma e Papà_ , but I don't know what to do. Telling them makes it feel so real to me. This alpha, this Antionio, I cuss him out! I yell at him! I punched him once because he scared me yelling out of nowhere! _Perché mai mi vorrebbe? Scegli me?_ " Lovino's voice cracked and he came to the horrifying realization that he'd begun to cry.

Arthur pulled him closer and positioned them to Lovino could be able to smell his calming scent close to his neck. As Lovino continued to sob, Arthur made a drastic decision and decided to roll with it. It's Lovino! He's helped Arthur through so much, Arthur must repay the favor!

Taking a deep breath, Arthur began to sing. It was a song he connected to deeply. The song his father sang to him as a lullaby after his mother's death.

An old, touching song.

" _Hey, Jude, don't make it bad_

 _Take a sad song and make it better_

 _Remember to let her into your heart_

 _Then you can start to make it better_ "

Lovino slowly quieted down, either from shock or that he was actually getting comfortable Arthur didn't know, but it was working.

" _Hey, Jude, don't be afraid_

 _You were made to go out and get her_

 _The minute you let her under your skin_

 _Then you begin to make it better_

 _And anytime you feel the pain,_

 _Hey, Jude, refrain_

 _Don't carry the world upon your shoulders_

 _For well you know that it's a fool_

 _Who plays it cool_

 _By making his world a little colder_ "

Lovino let out a chocked laugh, sniffling a bit and pulling Arthur closer. Arthur held him tightly, slightly winded.

" _Hey, Jude, don't let me down_

 _You have found her, now go and get her_

 _Remember to let her into your heart_

 _Then you can start to make it better_ "

Arthur ended the song there, half because Lovino finished crying and half because Lovino cut him off with a kiss to the cheek.

"You ass. Don't sing if you're uncomfortable." Lovino mumbled to him, opening his eyes to reveal golden eyes. Arthur smiled at him.

"But I wanted to sing for you to help you feel better."

A few seconds passed before Lovino jumped up and fell off his bed.

"HOLY CRAPOLLA YOU'RE TA-OW! FUCK!"

* * *

"You really think I should get with Antonio?" Lovino huffed and chuckled, squeezing Arthur's hand.

"Yes, of course Lovi! It's obvious you really like him and he obviously likes you if he asked you to give him permission to court you! Why else would he do that if he wasn't serious about this?!" Arthur smiled, beyond happy for his best friend.

"So I should accept?"

"Lovi, you always smell so happy after you spend time with Antionio-even if the scent blockers do cover most of it. I say you take this chance at happiness."

"...Can you dial the phone for me? I need to call my _Papà_ and tell her I'm being courted."

"Yeah. I will."

"Hey, _Artú_?"

"Hm?"

" _Grazie._ "

" _Tha fàilte ort, a charaid._ "

* * *

 ** _Yay! Thanks for reading this guys, I had fun writing it! (even though I almost accidentally deleted the whole thing...) It's short and not really a chapter, but I have a special reason for it!_**

 ** _This is a small gift for a special reader of mine on Wattpad._**

 ** _They are Rory_Kirkland._**

 ** _Thanks for your help, Rory. ;) I hope you enjoy this little gift. It came from out of nowhere, I know,_ buuuuuuuuut _I really think you deserve it._**

 ** _Italian Translations (off Google):_**

 ** _Artú - Arthur_**

 ** _Mamma e Papà - Mother and Father_**

 ** _Perché mai mi vorrebbe? Scegli me? - Why would he ever want me? Choose me?_**

 ** _Grazie - Thank you._**

 ** _Scottish Gaelic Translations (off Google):_**

 ** _Tha fàilte ort, a charaid. - You're welcome, my friend._**

 ** _The song is Hey Jude by The Beatles but the version I'm using is covered by the-lily-starr on YouTube._**


	34. Well Hello There AN

_(So uh, this is the part where I beg for forgiveness...)_

Hi all! I just wanted to inform you guys a bit about why I haven't updated recently.

The google docs plan I had is working really well and I'm actually almost done with the next chapter, I just need to tweak it.

The reason I haven't posted it is because, as many of you may know, I am in college. And it is not easy to be in college, especially with the program I'm in. And with finals coming up soon and midterms having passed a while back, I'm busy trying to stay afloat in my classes. I'm passing with a B at best in them. (And one is an online class!)

I'm sorry I'm not able to update as often as I promised or want, but there's just a lot of stress on me right now and I feel like I'm sinking, so I pushed my story aside to focus on school.

 _ **I am not abandoning the story! I am going to keep updating this book!**_

Just...not now. So I guess I'm going on a bit of a hiatus until I can calm my school life down and start focusing on this again.

I hope you guys understand and please forgive me. I am going to still be somewhat active on this app, I do read stories when I take breaks, so if you see me around, hi! But yeah, updates are a no go until possibly winter break so I may not update until December.

Thank you guys so much for reading and I'm sorry if you thought this was an update. I love you all! Take care and have happy holidays (if you celebrate any!)

-Pikosita5


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